The period between January and June this year was the driest in England since 1976, the Met Office has said.

With water levels running low, the National Drought Group met on Tuesday to discuss how to cope with conditions.

The group stopped short of declaring a drought but water companies have been putting the early stages of their drought plans into action by urging people to save water.

It comes after the UK's record temperature was broken last week. Conditions have been particularly dry in the south-east of England with the west, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland seeing lower temperatures and more rainfall.

Officials from bodies including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency, the National Farmers' Union and the Country Land and Business Association have met with water companies to discuss how to protect supplies.

They are urging people not to waste water after months of below average rainfall, but no restrictions on usage have been put in place in England. Environment Agency executive director Harvey Bradshaw, who chairs the National Drought Group, said the group would continue to monitor the situation with further dry weather forecast for August.

Nowhere in England is currently considered "in drought" but most of the country except for the north-west has moved into "prolonged dry weather" status, with low river flows which can impact farmers and wildlife.

Months of below-average rainfall has also led to low groundwater levels, dry soils and low reservoir levels.

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