England could see a drought this summer unless there is significant rainfall soon, as reservoir water levels dwindle.
The Government will convene the National Drought Group to prepare for what is expected to be a dry summer with potential water shortages.
Scotland has already warned of drought in the coming months, issuing an "early warning" of water scarcity in April.
Reservoir levels are lower than they should be after parts of the country had their driest spring on record.
'Rainfall totals across much of the British Isles have been low since the start of 2025'
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If the dry weather continues as predicted, water shortages may lead to hosepipe bans nationwide.
According to the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), rainfall needs to be at the level of 2012, when record-breaking downpours caused flooding throughout England.
A spokesperson for CIWEM said: "Rainfall totals across much of the British Isles have been low since the start of 2025.
"This has reduced the amount of recharge and refill possible in groundwater and reservoir resources over the 2024-25 winter, and left water resources below the levels companies would like to see at the start of the spring/summer seasons."
Current data shows that 2025 rainfall is similar to levels last seen in drought events of the past 20 years.
Long-term forecasts suggest conditions are set to be very warm, after April was the sunniest since records began.
Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: "Met Office UK climate projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the south-east of the UK, with temperatures projected to rise in all seasons."
Several water companies are undertaking work on reservoir repair, including Thames Water, which often faces significant pressure during droughts.
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Thames Water face increasing pressure with the threat of a drought
PAThe water industry inquiry, the Cunliffe review, is expected to look at fresh powers to force water companies to collaborate on sharing water stores.
This will become increasingly important as the Environment Agency reduces or imposes tighter conditions on water abstraction licences.
Industry sources suggest this collaboration will likely trigger disputes between companies over costs and licence conditions.
Water companies may reference drought-specific needs as a reason for higher consumer bills.
