UK creeping towards drought with little rain

Britain is grappling with an extended dry spell with some areas going more than a month with little rain.

Much of southern England is now classified as being in "prolonged dry weather," the stage before an official drought.

Thames Water, the country's largest water supplier, has imposed a hosepipe ban for its 10 million customers from Thursday, prohibiting the use of hoses to water gardens or wash cars.

The unusually dry conditions have left many of London's parks parched, surprising visitors.

"It definitely caught us off guard seeing it here," said Liam Jenkins who was visiting Greenwich Park.

"We've come to this part a fair bit whenever we're up in London and it's a completely different view to what we're used to and you're like, 'oh, OK, that's a bit odd'," he added.

Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent with temperatures rising at twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves and drought, leaving parts of Europe more vulnerable to water shortages and wildfires.