// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
More than half of England officially in drought, Environment Agency says
Wessex is one of the areas declared to be in drought on Wednesday
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) has said that seven regions – covering large parts of central, eastern and southern England – are now in official drought conditions.
It added that the impacts are already being felt, including low river flows, early harvests and high risk of wildfires. More than 20 million people are already under hosepipe bans.
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.
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"The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it," said Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group.
The full list of English regions in drought conditions are: