The Environment Agency has declared more areas in England in drought after a record dry July - almost three-quarters of England is now in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August.

Meeting yesterday as 71.3% of England was declared to be now in drought, the National Drought Group has warned all regions of the country are experiencing pressure on their water resources - with increasing impacts across agriculture, public supplies, navigation, and the environment.

The East Midlands, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire, Kent & East Sussex, and Solent & the South Downs became the latest to move into drought status today.

Along with the areas announced last week, most of the country (71.3%) is now experiencing a flash drought – which develops very quickly brought about by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures. This takes the total to 45 million people in a drought area. Over 27 million people are now living under restrictions on water use.

The North East and Yorkshire have moved to prolonged dry weather – the stage before drought – with nowhere now deemed in normal status.

The changes follow the driest July in 190 years and just 5% of expected rainfall this month to date. There are warnings of more dry weather and another heatwave on the way, with temperatures tipped to reach the mid-30s in some places.

Drought conditions worsening and will continue to do so

Tony Grayling, Strategic Drought Lead at the Environment Agency and Chair of the National Drought Group, said:

“Drought conditions are worsening and will continue to do so until we see significant and sustained rainfall.

“We know the hot and dry weather is taking a real toll on farming and there will be long-lasting impacts on our environment.

“We want everyone to stay safe and hydrated over the summer, but we need everyone’s help in using a little less water to make sure our current water reserves last. “

Water Minister Emma Hardy has told water companies to do more to cut leaks, which increase in the hot weather as pipes move in dry soils.

Current situation and impacts

Ongoing work by National Drought Group members includes heightened incident response, additional monitoring, increased leakage reduction and more cross-sector and public communication.

The Government has also stepped up its drought response and is actively considering ways to give more support to the farming sector.

Water Minister Emma Hardy, who attended the National Drought Group meeting said:

“We know how challenging this summer has been, especially for our hard-working farmers who are at the sharp end of climate change and an increasing number of floods and droughts.

“We are stepping up our support including working to make it easier for farmers to build more on-site irrigation reservoirs. We are also delivering long-term change in the water industry to reduce leaks and deliver nine new reservoirs and water transfer schemes to secure supplies.

“As we move through this period of drought, I expect water companies to take every available step to minimise leakage and support customers in using water wisely.”

Rivers, reservoirs, and groundwaters continue to decline and water temperatures are also rising, leading to more fish rescues, while the continued hot and dry conditions are increasing the risk of wildfires.

Three droughts in past five years

The climate is changing and the current drought now means there have been three in the past five years – 2022, 2025 and now 2026.

England is not alone in facing drought. Mainland Europe is also struggling with heatwaves and dry weather, while extremely low water levels on the Rhine and the Danube are disrupting energy generation, freight, and river transport.

Rainfall totals for July, ranged from 1% of the expected average for south-east England to 26% in north-west England. Some parts of Hampshire, Isle of Wight and West Sussex have not had a rain day for 59 days.

Natural England noted 245 wildfires have been reported on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) this year.

Important wetland and sensitive peatland habitats are drying out.

River flows continue to decline, with only 14% classed as at normal levels. 22% are exceptionally low, including the Avon, Wye, Ely Ouse and Exe.

Reservoir levels have fallen to 69% - 11.6% lower than to be expected for this time of year. England reservoir storage fell 16% during July, the greatest reduction in raw storage in July for at least 30 years.

River temperatures are rising, including reaching 28C on the River Misbourne, a chalk stream in Buckinghamshire, and 27C on the Hampshire Avon and 27C on the River Trent – around 2C higher than to be expected.

The Environment Agency has recorded 134 incidents linked to drought and dry weather this year – now approaching the same levels seen during previous droughts in 2022 and 2025.

Eight water companies have introduced Temporary Use Bans (TUBs), in some or all of their areas, impacting over 27 million customers. They are: Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water and South West Water.

Southern Water has applied for two Drought Orders. The first is to maintain normal abstraction rates from the River Test even during low flows and the second is for a non-essential use ban. These are both under consideration by Defra.

The National Drought Group recommends water companies submit drought permits early to allow them to refill reservoirs as early as possible.

NFU Deputy President calls for risk register for vulnerable businesses

Livestock farmers are beginning to feed winter forage stocks earlier than normal due to poor grass growth. The lack of adequate feed is expected to result in decreased milk volumes.

Irrigation restrictions on farmers are now increasing with 1,534 now in place in East Anglia. Some 302 abstractors in East Anglia are in the process of having to reduce the amount they can take from rivers by 50% to protect the environment due to exceptionally low flows. 14 abstractors in the Wensum catchment, Norfolk, have had to stop due to low water flows and the potential impact on the environment.

NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins is calling for a risk register for vulnerable businesses – he said:

“With no meaningful rain forecast in the coming weeks, the situation facing farmers and growers is increasingly concerning….

“To help farmers and growers now, we need to see a risk register for vulnerable businesses and a more responsive abstraction licensing system. Longer term, a consistent and positive planning approach to reservoirs, further rounds of the Water Management Grant and targeted investment in climate adaptation will be vital to build farming’s resilience to extreme weather.

“Water plays a crucial role in food security and the resilience of our nation. By treating water for food as a strategic priority, government can work with farmers to protect crops, livestock businesses, and the UK’s long-term food security.”