Water storage levels at Severn Trent's reservoirs hits new low for the year - here's the latest recording

Data published on Monday (July 21) stated the overall water level at reservoirs in Severn Trent Water's region at 63.3 per cent.

The figure is the lowest of the year so far and comes after the West Midlands was officially declared to be in a drought by the Environment Agency amid prolonged hot and dry weather.

The latest recording is more than two percentage points lower than the water storage level a week earlier on Monday, July 14, when it stood at 65.5 per cent.

The figure is also below the lowest recording from last year on September, 23, when the overall water storage level stood at 69.7 per cent of full capacity. 

Severn Trent's maximum reservoir capacity is 247,708 ML (million litres). But the water level in its reservoirs stood at 156,685 ML on Monday.

The water company was urging customers to be "even more mindful" of water use as the West Midlands entered its third heatwave of the year earlier this month.

Following the sunniest April on record, June was officially the warmest month on record for England, and Severn Trent said it was "working around the clock" to avoid imposing a hosepipe ban in the region.

Rain has fallen in Shropshire this week, and the Met Office has forecast further downpours this weekend.

A forecast for Friday stated: "Dry and fine for many with plenty of warm, sunny spells, though skies will turn cloudier through the afternoon. Warm or very warm in the sunshine, with winds remaining light."

Meanwhile, the outlook for Saturday to Monday added: "Plenty of warm sunshine for many on Saturday, the better day of the weekend, before showers, sometimes heavy, arrive from the south on Sunday. Drier but breezier by Monday."