The Environment Agency confirmed that East Anglia is among seven regions now in drought, following weeks of low rainfall, high temperatures and a long period of dry weather. Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said: "The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. "A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife and the economy." The seven regions now in drought are East Anglia, Hertfordshire and London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands and Wessex. The Environment Agency is urging the public to use water responsibly, highlighting small changes that can make a meaningful difference.