UK heatwave: Berkshire and Oxfordshire officially in drought

A view of bird house beside a dried up pond in the village of Northend in Oxfordshire

All of Oxfordshire and Berkshire are in drought, it has been announced.

An extended period of dry weather means the both counties have been classified as such.

A drought means water companies can announce stricter measures to conserve supplies. Thames Water has already implemented a hosepipe ban.

Temperatures could reach up to 37°C (99°F) this weekend as the south experiences yet another heatwave following the driest July since 1935.

The Environment Agency (EA) said essential water supplies were safe despite the driest start to the year in England since 1976.

It comes as a number of wildfires have broken out across the two counties due to the soaring temperatures.

An amber heat warning remains in place for much of England until Sunday.

Morrisons has become the latest retailer to ban disposable barbecues amid repeated warnings about the risk they pose in such dry conditions.

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The EA has declared that eight parts of the UK are in drought. Berkshire and Oxfordshire are part of the Thames region, which is in drought conditions.

John Curtin, executive director of operations for EA, told the BBC a drier than usual winter had exacerbated the situation.

He said: "It's weeks of rain we're going to need to recover over the winter. This drought will go on for a long time."