The Environment Agency has declared drought status in seven regions due to an extended spell of low rainfall and high temperatures. Areas affected include East Anglia, Hertfordshire, London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex, which covers Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chairwoman of the National Drought Group, said: "The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. Thames Water said it would not have introduced the restrictions unless they were needed to protect water supplies and the environment. Nevertheless, Thames Water insists the ban is a necessary measure to safeguard essential water supplies and reduce pressure on the network until weather conditions improve and water levels recover.