What is drought and why are parts of UK close to it?

Experts are warning that some parts of the UK are getting close to drought following recent hot, dry weather and low rainfall in many areas.

According to BBC Weather, areas including East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and London, Wessex, Thames, Solent and the South Downs are now facing "prolonged dry weather", which is the stage before drought.

As a result, more water companies are introducing hosepipe bans to help save water.

This means that people living in affected areas cannot use a hosepipe for certain activities, such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars.

But what exactly is a drought and why are hosepipe bans needed? Keep reading to find out.

A drought is when there is a longer than expected period of dry weather, leading to a shortage of water.

Drought can affect people, plants and animals, and can cause rivers and lakes to dry up.

This summer has been especially hot and dry across much of the UK, with three widespread heatwaves and some parts of the country going more than a month without rainfall.

England, Wales and eastern Scotland have been the driest areas over recent weeks, and this follows a very dry spring in similar regions.

A lack of rainfall can be one cause of drought, but high temperatures can also contribute by causing water to evaporate from the soil.

Across the UK, water is collected in places called reservoirs which help supply clean, fresh water to homes and businesses around the country throughout the year.

But if there is a long time with little to no rain, then reservoirs may not have enough water to go around.

Thames Water, which supplies water to London and its surrounding areas, is the latest supplier to announce a temporary hosepipe ban.

From Thursday this week, millions of people will be affected by the new rules.

These include parts of the east, south east and south west of England, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and parts of west Wales.

None of the water companies with hosepipe bans currently in place have given a date when the restrictions will end.

Instead, they have said that the length of the ban will depend on the weather and when there's enough water in reservoirs and rivers to meet demand.

When water supplies are very low, water companies may temporarily restrict how much water their customers can use.

One way to restrict water is to ban the non-essential use of hosepipes.

Hosepipes are often used in homes to:

Instead of using garden hosepipes, people in affected areas are encouraged to use watering cans to water plants or buckets of water to wash cars and bikes.

The hope is these methods will use up less water than a hosepipe would.

A hosepipe can use a thousand litres of water an hour - which is more than a family of four will use in a day.

Some water companies may fine customers for using hosepipes during a ban.