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Parts of southern, central, and eastern England are now approaching drought conditions, according to the National Drought Group. This organization, which includes members from the Met Office, the National Farmers’ Union, water companies, and various experts, reported on Tuesday that several regions across the country are experiencing “prolonged dry weather,” a phase that precedes a formal drought declaration. Affected areas as of Monday include East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, London, Wessex, Thames, Solent, and the South Downs.
The announcement coincides with Thames Water’s recent decision to impose a hosepipe ban on all its customers starting Thursday, affecting an additional 10.1 million people. This brings the total number of individuals under hosepipe restrictions in England to over 20 million by the end of the week. The pressure on water supplies is growing, with demand surging by as much as 30% during the hottest days of July. To address this strain, seven water companies have already introduced or plan to implement hosepipe bans to help preserve water in treatment facilities and storage reservoirs during peak usage times.
Farmers are also facing challenges due to the dry conditions. Many have started harvesting crops earlier than usual and are concerned that cereal yields might suffer because of the lack of rainfall. Paul Tompkins, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union, highlighted the efforts of agricultural workers who are “working around the clock to harvest crops which have come early, keep fruit and vegetables watered, and care for their livestock.” He also noted that parts of the country, especially the east and south, have endured “exceptionally low rainfall this spring and summer,” which could result in “another difficult and expensive harvest after extreme weather impacts in both 2024 and 2025.”
This unusually dry and hot summer marks the longest spell of dry days in central England since 1995, with three distinct heatwaves recorded. Regions such as England, Wales, and eastern Scotland have been the driest recently, following a similarly dry spring in those areas. England received only 3% of its long-term average rainfall for July, with some parts of the south and east experiencing no rainfall at all; in Surrey’s Wisley, there have been 33 consecutive dry days. While rainfall across the UK has been below average this summer, considerable regional differences remain. For example, by mid-July, eastern and north-eastern England had just 26% of their expected summer rainfall, contrasted with above-average precipitation in parts of northern and western Scotland. Wales has also been affected, with Natural Resources Wales categorizing its worst-hit northern and south-eastern regions as experiencing “prolonged dry weather,” the first step in its drought protocol.
Comparisons have been drawn to last summer’s widespread drought across much of England, Wales, and eastern Scotland, which only officially ended four months ago. This year, the onset of drought has been slower due to heavy rainfall in the preceding autumn and winter, which replenished aquifers, rivers, and reservoirs. However, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology warns that “flash droughts,” characterized by swift transitions from wet to dry conditions, are expected to become more frequent and severe. Looking ahead, the Met Office predicts that summers in the UK will generally become hotter and drier due to ongoing human-induced climate change, with projections indicating summers could be up to 60% drier and experience temperature increases between 1°C and 6°C by 2070 compared to 1990
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