00:00The West Midlands is on the brink of a drought after being placed in prolonged dry weather status.
00:07The National Drought Group says the destination is the stage before drought,
00:11as river levels remain under pressure following repeated heat waves.
00:16Only 13% of rivers across England are at normal levels for this time of year,
00:22with the River Wye exceptionally low.
00:24The Environment Agency is releasing around 200 million litres of groundwater into the River Severn every day,
00:31equivalent to 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
00:35Officials say the measure is helping protect water supplies, wildlife and habitats,
00:40while maintaining vital local river flows through the region.
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