England’s drought-hit areas are beginning to recover following the recent wet weather, the National Drought Group heard yesterday.

November saw 149% of the long-term average rainfall, which helped kick-start drought recovery but also brought flooding to many parts of the country.

As several areas announced a change in drought status, the expert group also heard how the latest science is being used to better protect England against future water shortages.

This comes as the Environment Agency is working with The Alan Turing Institute, looking at how the latest river flow modelling could be used to pinpoint how much water we have and identify the early signs of drought.

National Drought Group chair and Director of Water at the Environment Agency, Helen Wakeham, said:

“The recent rain has helped some of our depleted rivers and reservoirs, but we are not out of the woods yet.

“The spring was exceptionally dry and the summer very hot. Therefore, I would urge people to carry on using water as efficiently as possible – particularly while our environment recovers from the impacts of the recent drought.

“We are using the latest science to understand drought and to help us prepare for what still could be a difficult 2026. In the meantime, we expect water companies to carry on quickly fixing burst pipes and leaks throughout the winter, and to continue to follow their drought plans.”

The meeting heard:

There were geographical differences in November rainfall. The East Midlands saw 218% of rain (the wettest since 1871) and the West Midlands 185% (the wettest since 1970).

This rainfall means that after 21 weeks in drought, the East and West Midlands have now moved out of drought status and into recovery.

Yorkshire, which declared drought in June, is showing good signs of recovery and officials will decide on moving status later this week.

The North West, which was the first to declare drought status in May, is now out of the recovery stage and back to normal.

The North East has moved from prolonged dry weather to drought recovery.

The parts of Sussex served by South East Water remain in drought.

All areas are keeping their status under review, and more changes can be expected in the coming weeks.

Public water supply reservoir levels are now 79.8% full, only slightly below the 81.9% expected for this time of year.

The Environment Agency’s Chief Scientist, Robert Bradburne, detailed at the meeting how cutting-edge technology can help build resilience to extreme weather.

The latest modelling tools alongside insights on customer use are helping the EA to forensically examine the water system – from source to tap.

Work being carried out by the Environment Agency is also being complemented by that of water companies, who are developing their own methods to use water more efficiently – such as using AI to detect leaks.

At the meeting, all attendees agreed to work more closely together to pool research, innovation, and data-driven insights.

Environment Agency Chief Scientist and Director of the Chief Scientist’s Group, Dr Robert Bradburne, said:

“Droughts are becoming more complex to analyse as the climate and society’s demand for water changes. Today we took an important step in tackling this complexity head-on.

“This agreement to work more closely with water companies on advanced tools, such as AI, will greatly enhance our scientific capabilities.

“This will lead to better forecasts and more decisive and well-evidenced responses to drought."

Drought is only over when river, groundwater and reservoir levels are back to normal. The recovery phase means water levels are returning to normal - but water companies must maintain efficiency measures until resources are back to average levels for the time of year.

Recovery can be fragile, and it means it is possible to have flooding and drought simultaneously.

The Environment Agency recently released a Drought Prospects report looking at the likelihood of drought next year, using industry and environmental data up to the end of September.

The wetter conditions since then have improved the situation but there still needs to be typical rainfall until the end of March to avoid drought in some areas next year.

The National Drought Group - which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, the National Farmers’ Union, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts – reiterated all sectors need to act now to be prepared if the rain does not come.

Water companies must make sure their assets, such as pipes, pumps and reservoirs, are working well and, where necessary, submit any applications for drought permits early to maximise water storage.

Around 19% of water is lost to leaks. Water companies must continue to quickly drive that down to meet the commitment to halve the amount lost by 2050.

The Government will continue to progress mandatory water efficiency labelling in white goods, such as washing machines. Government proposals to improve the water efficiency standards in new buildings are also out for consultation, which ends on December 16th.

The spring of 2025 was the driest in 132 years - with four heatwaves, the Met Office declared the summer of 2025 as the hottest since records began in 1884. Eight out of the 11 months this year have seen below average rainfall.

Over the winter, members of the National Drought Group will continue to work together to improve its response to future droughts and future resilience. This will build on the EA’s largest ever review of drought science