Puerto Rico announced water rationing measures on Thursday as a drought grips the U.S. territory, worsening chronic water shortages that have forced the governor to declare a state of emergency. Thousands of people in the island’s northeast region face 48-hour rationing periods from Friday, said Luis González, executive president of the island’s water and sewer authority. The rationing program will affect several communities in the cities of Canovanas and Rio Grande as temperatures keep rising. “There’s just not enough water,” he said, adding that rationing will likely be extended to other areas. González blamed a lack of rain, although severe water shortages began affecting some of the island’s most populated areas months before the drought began, with officials yet to identify the problem.

Full report : Puerto Rico announces emergency water rationing as drought worsens.