The UK government released its dry weather and drought summary for England covering the period 10 to 16 July 2026 on 17 July. The report records a stark continuation of arid conditions that have gripped much of the country since the spring, with rainfall across England amounting to less than 1 millimetre during the week ending 14 July. That figure represents only 3 percent of the long-term average for the first half of the month.
River flows fell at most monitoring sites, the majority running below normal for the time of year. Thirteen sites were classed as notably low and seven as exceptionally low. Groundwater levels continued their seasonal decline, with some aquifers reaching notably low readings. Soil moisture deficits expanded across every region, leaving soils much drier than average.
Reservoir storage dropped to 78.8 percent, roughly 5 percent below the long-term average. Against this backdrop water companies recorded demand around 20 percent above normal levels during the recent heatwave. Several firms responded with temporary use bans: Anglian Water from 11 July, South West Water from 14 July, and Affinity Water and Cambridge Water from 17 July, alongside extensions to existing measures. The number of abstraction licence hands-off flow restrictions rose to 1,327.
Impacts on farming communities
Agricultural effects have been immediate and tangible. Cereal harvests began earlier than expected. Spring-sown crops suffered. Winter storage levels declined rapidly. Irrigation demand surged and livestock required additional drinking water, with some East Anglia farmers reporting forage shortages. These are not abstract statistics. They represent real pressure on producers who feed the country and sustain rural economies.
Environmental incidents involving dead fish, attributed to the dry weather, increased rapidly in the three weeks before the report, though the 2026 total of 29 remains lower than the equivalent period in 2025. Wildfires broke out in various parts of the country. No areas of England have entered formal drought status, yet several catchments sit in prolonged dry weather status, among them parts of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, East Anglia, and Hampshire with the Isle of Wight.
The Environment Agency has stepped up its drought response activities. The National Drought Group is scheduled to meet on 20 July and monthly thereafter through the summer. Weather forecasts indicate high pressure will remain close to the United Kingdom, sustaining the dry pattern for the period ahead.
