Drought has been declared across more than half of England as hot, dry weather takes its toll on the country's water supplies. The Environment Agency (EA) announcement covers much of central, eastern and southern England, and is a public sign that further restrictions on water use might follow. North Wales and the Upper Severn river basin entered drought conditions last week, Natural Resources Wales said. Scotland does not declare drought but monitors "water scarcity". Some parts of eastern Scotland are in the most extreme category of "significant scarcity", according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.