A drought is expected to be declared in more parts of England today, adding to the half of the country and the whole of Wales already under such conditions. The National Drought Group, comprising regulators, government officials, water companies, and agricultural bodies, is scheduled to meet this afternoon to assess the situation across England.
Almost all of southern England is currently officially in drought following an exceptionally hot and dry summer. Heatwave conditions are forecast to return for many areas this week.
Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, stated that the number of people affected by hosepipe bans is likely to increase from the 23 million currently experiencing restrictions. She predicted that north-west England, which is already under a "prolonged dry weather" status, could be among the areas where a drought is declared today.
Areas already officially in drought include East Anglia, Hertfordshire, London, Thames Valley, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Devon, Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex (Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire).
England and Wales experienced their driest July since records began in 1836 last month, while southern England recorded its driest month ever. River levels continue to fall, with less than 10mm of rain across England for the seventh consecutive week. The Environment Agency has warned of potential navigation issues for boats on the Thames, Lark, and Ouse due to low water levels. Reservoir levels are also declining, with most across England below normal and five classified as "exceptionally low."
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has cautioned that continued dry weather could lead to some food shortages. NFU president Tom Bradshaw noted that yields of wheat and oats are "very, very poor" this year, and livestock farmers have had to use winter feed rations due to an inability to grow grass.
The week ahead is forecast to remain mostly dry, with temperatures soaring across much of England and Wales. Temperatures are expected to peak on Thursday before dropping slightly over the weekend, with no significant rainfall anticipated for England and Wales in the foreseeable future.