Economy · UK drought · ArchiveHalf of England in Drought After July Rain Plummets to 7% AverageAired July 30, 2026 at 12:01 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Today, the Environment Agency declared a0:02drought across seven areas of England,0:04covering roughly half the country after0:07July rainfall came in at just 7% of the0:09long-term average and only 1% in the0:12south. These regions are already seeing0:14hosepipe bans as water companies impose0:16restrictions on millions of residents.0:19The Environment Agency describes the0:20crisis as a flash drought driven by0:23record low rain. England-wide, just 7%0:26of typical July rain fell. In the south,0:28the figure drops to 1%. Wales declared0:31its own drought last week while Scotland0:33faces severe water scarcity in the east0:35and south. Northern Ireland reports0:37adequate supplies but is watching0:39closely. The Environment Secretary says0:42the declaration allows water firms to0:44place further limits on farmers and0:45industry, though no details on those0:47curbs have been released. With no0:49significant rainfall forecast,0:51households risk tighter water use rules0:53and the wider UK remains on alert for0:55broader supply shortages.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗