Wildlife will be affected by current drought for years to come, UK government says

Dried ground near the traditional source of the River Thames, known as Thames Head, a group of seasonal springs near to the village of Coates in the Cotswolds, pictured on 14 August. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Wildlife in England and Wales will be affected by the current drought for years to come, the government has said.

This summer saw large parts of England and all of Wales plunged into a serious drought, with both recording their driest Julys since records began in 1836.