England is facing its third severe drought in five years as prolonged dry weather and high temperatures prompt official drought declarations across roughly half the country, according to the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency.
Drought Declarations Cover Seven Regions Across England
According to the Environment Agency, official drought status was declared on July 29, 2026, across seven regions: East Anglia, Hertfordshire and London, the Thames, Solent and South Downs, Devon and Cornwall, West Midlands, and Wessex. These areas are experiencing rapid “flash droughts” driven by below-average rainfall and persistent heatwaves. An additional set of areas, including Kent and East Sussex, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, and the East Midlands, have been formally designated as experiencing “long-term dry weather.” Only Yorkshire and the Northeast remain at normal water resource levels, according to government data.
Rainfall Deficits and Record Low River Flows
Rainfall across England in July 2026 reached only 7% of the long-term average, with southern regions dropping to 1%, as reported by the Environment Agency. Certain parts of Devon saw 50 rain-free days, while parts of Hampshire recorded 49 days without precipitation alongside three heatwaves. Consequently, 78% of rivers are flowing below normal levels, with roughly one-sixth classified as exceptionally low for the time of year. Historic lows were recorded on the River Thames at Reading and the River Cam at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Overall reservoir storage dropped to 75.3%—sitting 7.4 points below the long-term average—with facilities like Wimbleball and Blagdon reservoirs falling to exceptionally low marks.
Water Restrictions and Environmental Impacts
Seven water companies—Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water, and South West Water—have implemented temporary use bans affecting approximately 2.3 million people, or 40% of the local population. The government directed these utilities to prioritize leak repairs and execute their drought plans. Meanwhile, the environmental toll includes 110 wildfires recorded in Sites of Special Scientific Interest during 2026. Low flows have blocked migratory fish like Atlantic salmon from moving upstream, while shrinking breeding ponds have lowered the reproductive success of species like natterjack toads. According to the Environment Agency, field teams have completed 38 fish rescues, relocating brown trout, salmon fry, bullheads, grayling, and lamprey to safer waters.
Mitigation Measures and Long-Term Strategy
To stabilize conditions, the Environment Agency has begun releasing water from the upper Severn strategic reservoir and Shropshire groundwater supplies to maintain river flows, ecological health, and commercial navigation. Government officials stated that long-term infrastructure plans include building nine new reservoirs to bolster future water security. However, environmental regulators warn that experiencing consecutive summer droughts in 2025 and 2026 creates compounding pressures on ecosystems and the economy that will take extended periods to reverse.
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