More than two-thirds of England has been placed under drought conditions after the country recorded its driest July since records began in 1836, drought officials said.

The National Drought Group declared that 71.3% of England is now in drought following a meeting on Monday. Areas that moved into drought status include the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and the Solent and the South Downs.

That brings the total to more than half of England already classified as being in drought, along with the whole of Wales.

Drought coverage widens

The National Drought Group, which includes regulators, government representatives, water companies and agricultural bodies, said 45 million people in England are now living in drought-affected areas. More than 27 million of those people face restrictions on how water can be used.

Drought conditions are expected to worsen until “significant and sustained rainfall”, the group said, with the chair Tony Grayling warning that the hot and dry spell is taking a heavy toll on farming and the environment.

Grayling said conditions are likely to intensify over the week ahead as the fifth heatwave of the year develops further, although there are signs that rain could reach the UK on Sunday.

Brockwell Park in London. Picture courtesy of BBC

The group also said most of England is experiencing a flash drought, which it described as developing rapidly due to very low rainfall combined with higher temperatures.

Yorkshire and the north-east of England have been moved to a “prolonged dry weather” stage, which comes before drought. Nowhere in England is in a “normal” category.

Heat alerts as reserves drop

Hot weather is continuing, with the UK Health Security Agency issuing amber heat health alerts for all of England except the North East from Tuesday at 09:00 BST until Friday at 21:00 BST.

An amber alert indicates significant impacts are likely across health and social care services due to the risk posed by high temperatures.

The Environment Agency said low water levels are already causing potential navigation problems for boats on the Thames, Lark and Ouse. Reservoir levels have continued to fall, with almost all sites below normal and five described as “exceptionally low”.

Water shortage risks are also rising for wildlife and ecosystems. Mark Owen, head of fisheries at the Angling Trust, said warmer conditions are putting fish under “severe stress” because the water holds less dissolved oxygen.

Meanwhile, the continued dry weather is increasing the risk of wildfires. Dozens of firefighters were dealing with a blaze in the New Forest on Monday, which had earlier been estimated at 140 football pitches, or 247 acres.

Farming hit as rivers run low

England and Wales recorded their driest July on record last month, with southern England seeing its driest July ever. South-east England received just 1% of the expected average rainfall for July, and some parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex have not had a rain day for 59 days.

The National Drought Group said pressure is building across England’s water resources. The National Farmers Union reported reduced output after very early harvests, with its president Tom Bradshaw warning that continued dry conditions could lead to food shortages.

He said yields of wheat and oats were “very, very poor” and that some livestock farmers have been forced to use winter feed rations because grass has not grown.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said the government is working to make it easier for farmers to build additional on-site irrigation reservoirs that can capture and store water.

Figures show only 14% of England’s rivers are at normal levels, while 22% are exceptionally low, including the River Avon in south-west England and the River Ely Ouse in eastern England.

Scotland monitors scarcity; climate drivers grow

Scotland and Northern Ireland have not been experiencing drought conditions and are expected to see spells of heavy rain. Scotland does not declare drought, but monitors “water scarcity” instead, and its environment agency reported that eastern areas remain in the most extreme categories of moderate or significant scarcity.

The Climate Change Committee’s chief executive Emma Pinchbeck said the UK was “not prepared at all” for prolonged dry weather, citing impacts already seen on farming and concerns about readiness across infrastructure and the economy up to 2050.

The Met Office said climate change does not cause every heatwave or drought, but it makes extreme heat more likely by raising average temperatures, and it increases evaporation when rain fails, drying soils faster. This can contribute to a feedback effect where drier ground cools less and allows temperatures to climb higher.

The Met Office and other agencies said the UK is seeing the type of hotter, drier summers climate scientists have long predicted, with three droughts recorded in the past five years: 2022, 2025 and 2026.

This year there have been 34 days with temperatures of 30C or above somewhere in England, including 13 consecutive days in July. Human-caused climate change is said to be increasing the likelihood and intensity of heat extremes, while El Niño, a natural climate pattern driven by unusually warm Pacific Ocean waters, is expected to further influence global temperatures. The World Meteorological Organisation said a strong El Niño event is developing and is expected to dominate global climate patterns in coming months.

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11 August 2026

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Have the fires started yet? I do see a trend here. Wonder what's causing it.