- The Environment Agency has declared seven areas across central, eastern, and southern England, encompassing approximately half the country, to be officially in drought due to very low rainfall and high temperatures.
- The seven areas of England now officially in drought are East Anglia, Hertfordshire and the whole of London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex – covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
- July is anticipated to be the driest month on record, with England receiving only 7% of its expected rainfall and southern England just 1%, contributing to a rapid onset 'flash drought' despite a wet winter.
- The drought follows the UK's fourth heatwave of the summer, with record-breaking temperatures, including a new June record of 38C in Norfolk, which has led to widespread wildfires and hosepipe bans.
- Officials, including Helen Wakeham from the Environment Agency and water minister Emma Hardy, highlight the seriousness of a second consecutive summer drought, emphasising long-term environmental and economic impacts and the need for water conservation and infrastructure investment.
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