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Some 71.3% of England is in drought, the UK government said on Monday, after the nation experienced its driest July on record, with a fifth heatwave and scant rain forecast for the week ahead.
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Parks and fields that are usually green at this point in the year were parched and yellow, according to AFP news agency photos, as river levels dwindled and farmers battling low crop yields warned of possible food shortages.
“Almost three-quarters of England is now in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August,” the environment department said, as parts of the central Midlands and northeast England joined other areas of the country experiencing prolonged dry weather.
“All regions of the country are experiencing pressure on their water resources,” the department said, with “nowhere” in the UK having a “normal” status.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said most of England is experiencing a “flash drought,” which develops quickly and is the result of very low rainfall and high temperatures.
It is the third drought Britain, usually known for its unpredictable wet weather, has experienced in five years. More than 50% of England was declared to be in drought at the end of July.
Britain was also facing its fifth heatwave of the 2026 summer that has seen multiple temperature records being broken.
As much of Europe braces for another heatwave and prolonged dry conditions, scientists warn climate change is making extreme weather events more intense and frequent.
England and Wales both experienced the driest July on records, the UK’s Met Office weather agency announced earlier, with England recording just 10% of its usual long-term average rainfall.
“There are warnings of more dry weather and another heatwave on the way, with temperatures tipped to reach the mid-30s in some places,” DEFRA said.
The government has imposed irrigation restrictions on farmers and introduced a hosepipe ban in some regions, with more than 27 million people living under water-use restrictions.
There are now 45 million people living in a drought area, according to official figures. The total population of the United Kingdom is estimated at 69.3 million.
“We know the hot and dry weather is taking a real toll on farming and there will be long-lasting impacts on our environment,” said the Environment Agency’s Tony Grayling, who heads the National Drought Group.
Additional sources • AFP
