Relentless UK heatwaves turn ‘green and pleasant land’ brown
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- England's Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales declared half of England and all of Wales in drought — the third such event in five years — after July rainfall hit just 7% of the long-term average (1% in southern England), with the Thames at Reading recording its lowest ever level.
- Water companies have imposed hosepipe bans on 23 million people across England and Wales, though they say drinking water supplies remain safe because record winter rainfall kept reservoirs close to expected levels.
- Firefighters responded to 393 wildfires across England and Wales in July — the busiest month on record — with hundreds of evacuations compared to roughly 50 in all of 2025; Cairngorms national park in Scotland suffered the worst fires in living memory.
- Riverford Organic Farmers in Devon reports all but one of its four reservoirs have run dry, forcing earlier harvesting and "difficult decisions" about which crops to prioritise for irrigation, per supply chain director Luke King.
- The Met Office projects UK summers will be 1C-6C hotter and up to 60% drier by 2070 compared with 1990, while University of Oxford climate scientist Dr Chloe Brimicombe calls the crisis "a challenge for right now" requiring better long-term planning.
Why it matters: Twenty-three million people in England and Wales are now under hosepipe bans — a direct household hit — while the declaration is the third drought in five years, signalling the "exceptional event" framing no longer fits. The Met Office projects summers up to 60% drier by 2070, meaning today's water restrictions and 393-wildfire months are a likely baseline, not an outlier.
