Drought Conditions Extend Across England

An announcement by the Environment Agency today will say that most of England is now in drought.

As the government start planning for long-term water shortages, with potentially disastrous consequences for wildlife and farming, larges areas of the Midlands and southwest England have entered official drought status. Water companies in those areas can now apply water restrictions on households and businesses.

The drought now extends from Cornwall to Kent, East Anglia to Shropshire and Herefordshire, and as far north as Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and North Yorkshire. Even parts of Wales – normally one of the wettest parts of the UK – are reporting ill-effects from the dry spell. The smattering of rain in many areas over Easter gave little respite from low river flows and falling groundwater levels, with only England's northernmost counties still getting enough wet weather.

Summer rainfall could help alleviate the problem but officials are planning for a third unusually dry winter. Only an exceptionally wet autumn and winter would prevent a drought from carrying through into next year. Soils are so dry and reservoir levels so low that only prolonged heavy rainfall will help.

"A longer term drought, lasting until Christmas and perhaps beyond, now looks more likely,” Trevor Bishop, head of water resources at the Environment Agency, has warned.

“We are working with businesses, farmers and water companies to plan ahead to meet the challenges of a continued drought," he said. "While we've had some welcome rain recently, the problem has not gone away and we would urge everyone – right across the country – to use water wisely now, which will help prevent more serious impacts next year."