Drought Declared Across Half of England and All of Wales
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- The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales declared drought across more than half of England and all of Wales, with central, eastern, and southern England hardest hit, after a wet winter gave way to a hot, dry spring and summer.
- Eight UK water companies have imposed hosepipe bans covering more than 20 million people in England and Wales, prohibiting use for watering gardens, washing vehicles and windows, and filling pools.
- Nearly 80% of England's rivers are seeing flows below normal or lower, with the River Thames at Reading and the River Cam at Dernford among those at record lows, according to UKCEH hydrologist Steve Turner.
- England's reservoirs sat below average levels for the time of year as of 21 July, and South-east England's heavier reliance on groundwater means drought there takes longer to develop but can be longer-lasting, per British Geological Survey Prof Alan MacDonald.
- A landmark water sector review criticised water companies in England and Wales for historic underinvestment in infrastructure, prompting plans for nine new reservoirs by 2050 alongside the one already under construction at Havant Thicket in Hampshire.
- The Met Office expects drier summers on average as the world warms, though no clear trend has yet emerged — but University of Reading's Prof Richard Allan warned that a 'warmer atmosphere' depletes soil, rivers, and reservoirs more rapidly.
Why it matters: A landmark water sector review found historic underinvestment in infrastructure, and with the Met Office expecting drier summers on average as the climate warms, the 20 million people now under hosepipe bans are the first test of plans to build nine new reservoirs in England by 2050.
