Drought declared across half of England as fourth heatwave peaks at 35.2C

Drought spreads across England

The Environment Agency declared drought in seven regions of England on Wednesday, covering more than half the country and affecting up to 28 million people. The areas include East Anglia, Hertfordshire and London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex (Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire). The declaration follows prolonged dry weather and the fourth heatwave of the year, with some locations reporting 38–39 days without rainfall. July is expected to be the driest on record for England, with just 7% of average rainfall and only 1% in southern regions.

The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife and the economy.

Heatwave peaks and temperature records

The latest heatwave peaked on Wednesday at 35.2C in Writtle, Essex, matching the 35.2C recorded in Derbyshire on 10 July. It did not surpass the June record of 38.0C set at Lingwood, Norfolk on 26 June, which the Met Office confirmed after a verification process raised the provisional figure of 37.7C. The rapid shift from a wet winter to extreme summer heat has been described as a “flash drought” and an example of “climate whiplash”. Cooler air is forecast to move in from Thursday, but the driest areas are unlikely to see significant rain.

Farming and businesses under strain

Farmers in Gloucestershire report that the lack of grass is making it harder to feed livestock, while dairy cows stressed by heat are producing up to 20% less milk. Professor Nicola Cannon of the Royal Agricultural University said the extreme heat has cut milk output sharply. In Devon, Guy Singh-Watson of Riverford Organic Farmers warned that staff may soon have to choose which plants to water and which to let die, and called for faster permissions to build on-farm water storage. A pottery business in Berkshire is operating at a fifth of normal capacity because room temperatures above 40C force kilns to shut down, doubling reheating costs.

Cows feel stressed just as humans feel stressed when it's really hot, and as a response to that, their milk productivity goes down.

Water restrictions and government response

More than 20 million people are already under hosepipe bans, with Thames Water imposing restrictions on its 10 million customers. Other water companies, including Bristol Water, Wessex Water and Severn Trent Water, have no bans but urge careful use. The Environment Agency is topping up the River Severn with the equivalent of 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water to maintain flows. Water minister Emma Hardy said the government is driving record investment in water infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs, and expects water companies to follow their drought plans.

Our climate is changing, droughts are becoming increasingly common, and we need to be prepared for this new normal.

What comes next

Scotland’s east is in the most severe water scarcity category, while Northern Ireland is not in drought. The Met Office says extreme weather is becoming the new normal for the UK. With no substantial rain forecast for the driest regions, the pressure on water supplies, farming and wildlife is set to continue.