PICTURES and videos are coming in which show the toll the drought is taking on local rivers.

Ian Maddock, professor of river science at the University of Worcester, has produced a video with drone pilot James Atkins which shows the stark state of the river Teme.

In places the river has been reduced to shallow pools, and vegetation is growing over large areas of what is usually the riverbed.

The film covers a stretch of the Teme near Knighton.

Prof Moddock said: "Much of the reach down to Leintwardine is dry (which I believe is not that unusual). I think what is, is the early timing of the drying."

July is still early summer, and there is the potential for several more weeks of dry weather to come.

However, Nick Everard, the Environment Agency's lead on river flow measurement instruments, said that though it was sad to see the Teme in such a state, the drought does offer a rare chance to map the structure of the riverbed, which can help with the management of the river when the water returns.

Meanwhile, Dave Throup, Environment Agency manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, posted pictures on social media which showed what he described as the "struggling" river Wye in Ross and Hereford.

A pairs of his photos contrasted the low river waters of this month with the swirling current that was high up the floodwall in Hereford in January.

There is no immediate end in sight to the heatwave.

Although the Met Office forecasts some thunderstorms over the weekend, drier weather will return on Monday.