The risk of drought is rising after an unusually dry start to spring has pushed river flow, groundwater and reservoir stores below normal levels across much of the country, especially in central and southern England. The latest official hydrological outlook , released this week, warns that the rest of the month will likely see “below normal to notably low river flows across central southern England”, which could persist into July. In its monthly national report on the water situation across the country, the government acknowledged that “April was the second dry month in a row, with most of the country receiving below average rainfall”. Meanwhile, eastern and southeastern England recorded their driest April since 2011. Low water levels at the Bough Beech Reservoir in Kent during a drought in August 2022 (AFP/Getty) Across the country, rainfall over April was 23 per cent below average, Met Office figures show.…