London, July 29 (Petra) -- More than half of England has officially entered drought status following prolonged heatwaves and dry weather, the UK's Environment Agency said, triggering a drop in water supplies, heightened risk of wildfires, and declining river levels.

According to the BBC, the drought declaration covers vast areas across central, southern, and eastern England. More than 20 million people are already subject to hosepipe bans, with further restrictions likely in the coming period.

The agency said rainfall levels in July were exceptionally low, reaching just 7% of the average across England and dropping to a mere 1% in the south of the country.

The sharp transition from a wet winter to an intensely hot and dry summer has caused what experts describe as a "flash drought," the agency added.

//Petra// AF