As Herefordshire finds itself back in drought less than a year after record autumn rainfall ended the last, the agency has told of the consequences of a lack of rainfall. On Wednesday, the West Midlands—including Herefordshire—was named as one of seven areas declared in drought by the Environment Agency, amid what officials describe as a rapidly developing "flash drought" caused by prolonged dry weather and high temperatures. 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. July has brought exceptionally dry conditions across England, with the Environment Agency warning that rainfall has been only a tiny fraction of normal levels in many areas.