Drought looms in south-west as parts of UK face ‘exceptional’ wildfire risk | ITV News
A drought is likely to be declared for south-western parts of England, ITV News understands, as warnings over the risk of severe fires spreading ratchet up. The new status is believed to be a precaution, with rain forecast next week, prompting action by agencies and water companies to manage water resources and protect the environment. The National Drought Group – made up of government and agency officials, water companies and other groups such as the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) – is set to meet on Friday to discuss the prolonged dry weather. It comes as temperatures are set to climb to as high as 34C on Thursday and up to a peak of 36C over the weekend in the areas covered by an amber warning for extreme heat issued by the Met Office for much of England and Wales. • Subscribe to ITV News on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2lOHmNj • Get breaking news and more stories at http://www.itv.com/news Follow ITV News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itvnews/ Follow ITV News on Twitter: https://twitter.com/itvnews Follow ITV News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itvnews/