Half of England Declared in Drought Amid Record-Low Rainfall and Heatwaves

On July 29, 2026, the Environment Agency (EA) declared drought in seven regions covering 51 % of England: East Anglia; Hertfordshire and London; the Thames Valley; Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; Devon and Cornwall; the West Midlands; and Wessex (Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and south Gloucestershire). The agency called it a “flash drought,” triggered by very low rainfall and high temperatures.

Drought declared in parts of England as fourth heatwave grips country Half of England plunges into ‘flash drought’ after low rain and hot weather BBC NewsThe GuardianHalf of England officially in drought as heat wave peaks: Environment Agency The IndependentHalf of England enters drought as heatwaves and record low rainfall take their toll The IndependentThe Independent

A wet winter filled reservoirs, but an unusually hot and dry spring and summer produced three heatwaves—including 12 consecutive days above 30 °C—and a fourth heatwave was under way by the end of July.

The National News

• Rainfall: England received only 7 % of its long-term July average, falling to 1 % in the south.

Drought declared in half of England

• River flows: About 78 % of rivers are below normal, with one-sixth exceptionally low.

Drought declared in half of England

• Reservoir storage: At 75.3 % of capacity, roughly 7.4 percentage points below average.

Half of England in drought as farm water pressure mounts

• Water restrictions: Seven water companies have introduced Temporary Use Bans, affecting roughly 23 million customers (? 40 % of the population).

Half of England in drought as farm water pressure mounts

• Agricultural impact: 1,506 abstraction licence restrictions are in place; early cereal harvesting and reduced yields have been reported.

Half of England in drought as farm water pressure mounts

• Wildfires: The National Fire Chiefs Council recorded 706 wildfires in England and Wales up to July 16, 2026, with 110 on Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Half of England officially in drought as heat wave peaks: Environment Agency

Farmers have been forced to harvest early, cutting yields of oilseed rape, potatoes, onions and carrots. Dairy farms report a loss of 18.5 million litres of milk. Low river levels hinder migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon and threaten the natterjack toad. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued amber heat-health alerts for the East Midlands, East of England, London and the South East, and yellow alerts for the West Midlands, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Half of England officially in drought as heat wave peaks: Environment Agency

• The EA has increased monitoring, tightened abstraction controls and urged water companies to prioritise leak repairs.

Half of England in drought as farm water pressure mounts

• The National Drought Group—including the Met Office, regulators, water firms, farmers and conservation bodies—met on July 28, 2026 to coordinate response actions through autumn.

The Hindu

• The Met Office will continue providing forecasts to support drought monitoring, while UKHSA maintains heat-health alerts through July 30, 2026.

BBC News

• “Our climate is changing, droughts are becoming increasingly common, and we need to be prepared for this new normal.” — Emma Hardy, water minister

The Environmental Agency has declared an official drought across the whole of London following one of the hottest and driest Julys on record – here’s what you need to know

The Met Office expects only modest rain in early August, with no substantial, sustained rainfall projected for the most affected areas. Amber heat-health alerts remain in force until July 30, 2026, after which authorities will reassess health and water-supply risks.

BBC News