Tea leaves picked from Sri Lanka 200 years ago could prevent the drink from becoming extinct.

Researchers are looking at ways to best protect the plants from climate change.

Thamali Kariyawasam, of the University of Bristol, is going to investigate how tea cultivars manage when there is a limited water supply.

She said: “We are seeing tea fields being scorched by heatwaves, and in extreme conditions, the crop will die.”

It comes as it was recently revealed that Brits guzzle enough gallons of tea in the morning to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools.

A survey of 2,000 people carried out by tea bag firm PG Tips found that 53 million cups of the British staple are drunk before 9am every day.

It also revealed that 12 per cent of adults make themselves a cuppa as soon as they wake up,

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