DESPITE the recent downpour topping up reservoirs the region will remain in drought for the foreseeable future.
Drought status has been lifted for 19 counties in the South West, the Midlands and Yorkshire after heavy, persistent rain boosted river and reservoir levels, reducing pressure on the environment and water supplies.
However in East Anglia ground water levels remain low and hose pipe bans will continue.
Antony Innes from Anglian Water said: “The recent rain has filled reservoirs and is helping, but ground water levels, where we get 50 per cent of our water supply, are well below where we would want them to be and they take much longer to fill up.
“Before the wet weather in April we had the driest 18 months in a century so it’s going to take a lot more rain to end the drought.”
Forecasters are predicting a fine and dry weekend with sunny spells but there is a chance rain could return by Monday.
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