Almost three-quarters of England is now officially in drought, following a dry start to August. The National Drought Group has warned that all regions are experiencing pressure on water resources.
The East Midlands, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire, Kent & East Sussex, and Solent & the South Downs were the latest areas to be declared in drought today. This expands the total to 71.3% of England, affecting 45 million people. The North East and Yorkshire have moved to prolonged dry weather status, the stage before drought.
These changes follow the driest July in 190 years, with only 5% of expected rainfall recorded this month to date. Warnings suggest more dry weather and another heatwave are expected, with temperatures potentially reaching the mid-30s in some areas.
Tony Grayling, Strategic Drought Lead at the Environment Agency, stated that drought conditions are worsening and will continue until significant and sustained rainfall occurs. Water Minister Emma Hardy has urged water companies to increase efforts to cut leaks and is actively considering more support for the farming sector.
Rivers, reservoirs, and groundwaters continue to decline, with reservoir levels at 69%, which is 11.6% lower than expected for this time of year. The Environment Agency has recorded 134 drought-related incidents this year.