Over half of England 'officially in drought'

LONDON: Just more than half of England has been declared in drought after 'record-low rain and exceptionally high temperatures', the UK government said on Wednesday. It follows what is set to be the driest July on record, with just seven per cent of expected rainfall nationwide and some parts of southern England seeing just one per cent, according to the government's Environment Agency.
The UK is also currently experiencing its fourth widespread heatwave of 2026. Describing it as a 'flash drought' — which develops quickly and is caused by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures — it was the second consecutive summer parts of England were experiencing drought. 'Rivers are running low, farmers are having to harvest crops early, wildfire risk is increasing, and millions of people are living under restrictions on water use,' the agency said as it made the announcement.
The seven areas declared in drought — which include London, East Anglia to its northeast, all of southwest England and the West Midlands — comprises 51.4 per cent of the nation. Representatives from the National Drought Group — which includes meteorological and government officials and ministers, regulators, water companies, farmers and others — convened on Tuesday to discuss the situation, the Environment Agency noted.
They reviewed impacts, preparedness plans and drought response actions across England, with the nation's private water companies being told to prioritise fixing leaks, it added.