LONDON - Britain may face a serious drought this year with its rivers drying up and less rainfall and snow recorded this winter, local media reported on Monday.

According to local reports, rivers and reservoirs have dried up because of a lack of rain while water levels are 20 percent lower than normal.

The situation has prompted Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to call for "preventative measures" to deal with the worst drought in Britain since 1976.

Speaking at a drought summit on Monday, DEFRA secretary Caroline Spelman said the fact that Britain is facing its second consecutive dry winter is affecting farming.

To prevent drought, officials and experts have put forward suggestions like channeling water from the wet north to the dry south, and stopping water leakage.

According to Spelman, water companies have managed to reduce leakage by 36 percent since the 1990s. However, the likelihood of banning garden hosepipes in the country is greater this year, she added.