Four Regions Of England Now Officially In Drought, East And West Midlands, Yorkshire, Northwest
Four areas of England are now in drought as the East and West Midlands have joined Yorkshire and the north-west. Continuing hot and dry weather was a hazard to crop production and wildlife, ministers said, as they urged water companies to put hosepipe bans in place to conserve water as levels deplete. The water minister, Emma Hardy, said: “I have asked the national drought group to step up its response to ensure we are successfully managing the impacts of ongoing dry weather. Water companies must now take action to follow their drought plans – I will hold them to account if they delay.”
England had a very hot and dry June. Rainfall was 20% less than the long-term average for the month, and it was the hottest on record for England. Reservoir levels have continued to fall as increased water use meets lack of rain, with overall storage across England at 75.6%. This is below the level during the severe drought year of 2022, when they were at 77% capacity at this point in the summer. The Guardian recently revealed that England’s reservoirs are at their lowest levels for a decade.
The government’s national drought group met on Tuesday to discuss their response to the prolonged dry weather, which has caused mass fish die-offs, low river flows, dangerous algal blooms and the beginnings of crop failures.
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Officials said on Monday that as many as five of the Environment Agency’s 14 areas of England were expected to go into drought this summer after the hottest June since records began in 1884.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/15/four-areas-of-england-now-in-drought-as-hot-weather-threatens-wildlife-and-crops