More than half of England is now officially in drought, the Environment Agency announced, covering seven regions across central, eastern, and southern parts of the country.
The affected areas include East Anglia, Hertfordshire and the whole of London, the Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex, which covers Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and South Gloucestershire. More than 20 million people are already living under hosepipe bans.
Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, explained the core problem in plain terms. According to BBC News, she said: "The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it."
The agency said the impacts of the dry conditions are already visible, including low river flows, early harvests, and a high risk of wildfires. North Wales and the Upper Severn river basin also entered drought conditions last week, according to Natural Resources Wales. In Scotland, which does not formally declare drought but monitors water scarcity, some parts of eastern Scotland have reached the most extreme category of significant scarcity, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
The situation developed unusually fast. January and February were very wet across much of the United Kingdom, helping to refill reservoirs and groundwater supplies. But late spring and summer turned sharply hot and dry. That rapid shift between conditions is sometimes described as climate whiplash. In July, England received just 7 percent of its average rainfall. Southern England received just 1 percent. Some parts of Devon and Hampshire had not seen rain in more than a month.
Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, described the conditions as exceptional. "The warm and exceptionally dry conditions experienced across much of England over recent months are continuing to have a significant impact," he said.
An official drought declaration signals that the Environment Agency is stepping up its response, including increased monitoring and tighter controls on how much water can be drawn from rivers and groundwater sources. It can also trigger new hosepipe bans where they are not already in place.
Early August could bring some rain to parts of the country. The Met Office said, however, that there is no sign of sustained rainfall that would make a meaningful difference to the dry conditions across the affected regions.
