The North East, along with Yorkshire, has been declared in a period of prolonged dry weather, the stage before a drought. The announcement was made after a meeting of the National Drought Group, consisting of the Environment Agence (EA), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Met Office on 10 August
Almost three-quarters of England is now in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August. Nowhere is now deemed in normal status.
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 om 10 August..
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 45mn people in a drought area. Over 27mn people are living under restrictions on water use.
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.
“Everyone use a little less water”
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. Every drop we can save is a drop more for your local farmers, local wildlife and local rivers.”
Small steps to reduce water consumption – such as turning off taps when brushing teeth or fixing a leaking toilet – can add up to conserve dwindling supplies until the next period of sustained rainfall.
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.
Support for farmers
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 says it has 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. 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.
“I also want to thank people for following the restrictions, where in place, as they are an important tool to safeguard essential water supplies and protect the environment.”
Climate is changing
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. Our 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.
For much more on this topic, including water saving tips, see the long press release from the EA, Defra and the Met Office on which this report is based.
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