AN ex-Environment Agency officer for Herefordshire has warned of a lack of water resources as the heatwave continues.

Dave Throup, who covered Herefordshire and Worcestershire for the EA for 22 years before retirement late last year, warns that river flows are starting to suffer throughout the country including in the Wye catchment in Herefordshire.

Mr Throup said on his Twitter account that the latest data for reservoir levels published in June recorded the Elan Valley reservoirs in Mid Wales as either "notably low" or "exceptionally low".

These are used as a backup to maintain flows in the river Wye and river Severn which are also running very low.

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Low rainfall totals have led to the levels of the Wye at Bredwardine running at 0.189m, below the typical low of 0.21m.

The usual range for the river at Bredwardine is between 0.27m and 3.80m.

Mr Throup said that the reservoir data is already two weeks out of date.

"July has been exceptionally dry and hot so far with parts of the country seeing no rain at all.

"Water resources are going to be under big pressure."

Water companies say they are are not yet planning to bring in restrictions such as hosepipe bans, but some are warning that groundwater and reservoir supplies are lower than average following low rainfall this year.

The Water's Worth Saving campaign from Water UK has urged families to save water as reservoir levels dip dangerously low amid soaring temperatures in the UK.

Tips to save water include not letting taps run, filling up the dishwasher before use, limiting car washing, and letting the lawn go brown.

Peter Jenkins, director of campaigns for Water UK said: "“In this extremely hot weather we all need to be mindful of the amount of water we use while ensuring we stay hydrated and safe.

"By making just small changes indoors or in the garden you can have a big impact on our water consumption.

"There are simple things we can all do to save this precious resource, so it remains readily available now and in the future."