The NDG (National Drought Group) met on 28 July and heard that the recent extreme weather is having a severe impact on our environment and affecting water supplies and food production.
NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins, who attending the meeting, gave an agriculture update focusing on three key asks:
- Increased coordination with water companies on resilience measures, particularly for vulnerable agricultural customers.
- Supporting more investment on on-farm water storage – particularly a further round of the Water Management grant.
- More flexibility in abstraction, such as seen with Smart abstraction trials, to support growers’ access water.
The NFU has called for urgent action on water resilience in response to the drought and as the threat posed by extreme weather grows.
Current picture
From Wednesday 29 July, seven areas across England will go into drought status, including: 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 south Gloucestershire).
Kent and East Sussex, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire and the rest of Solent and the South Downs are now in prolonged dry weather status.
The third heatwave of the year saw temperatures exceed 30°C for 12 consecutive days and the fourth heatwave has just begun. England’s three warmest springs on record have now occurred in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with nine of the ten warmest springs since 1884 taking place within the last 20 years.
Dry conditions have continued into summer. In July, England has received just 7% of the long-term average rainfall, with parts of the south and east of the country recording no rain at all, marking the longest dry spell since the mid-1990s. Reservoir storage for England is currently at 75.3%, around 7.4% lower than long-term average.
The prolonged hot weather has brought harvest forward – take part in our survey on harvest yields to make a case for a more resilient arable sector – and there is a serious risk of combine and wildfire incidents.
Read: Threat of wildfire on farm land requires urgent policy changes
Most water companies are now moving to drought level 1, meaning increased communications with customers, with those that have introduced temporary use bans having done so because of demand increase by customers.
Seven water companies have now implemented or announced future temporary use bans for 23 million customers. In East Anglia, some farmers have also had to stop abstracting water from local rivers due to reduced flows caused by the lack of rainfall.
Low river flows have led to 1,506 abstraction licence restrictions, while irrigation demand remains high. On-farm storage reservoirs have also seen a sharp decline, raising concerns about water availability for the remainder of the year.
Extreme weather
“To help farmers adapt, we must strengthen resilience to climate volatility.”
NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins
Paul said: “Farmers and growers across the country are working around the clock to harvest crops which have come early, keep fruit and vegetables watered, and care for their livestock.
“Parts of the country, particularly in the east and south, have seen exceptionally low rainfall this spring and summer, creating real challenges for farm businesses. For many arable farmers, this could be another difficult and expensive harvest after extreme weather impacts in both 2024 and 2025 which saw both drought and flood.
“To help farmers adapt, we must strengthen resilience to climate volatility. That means a more responsive abstraction licensing system, a consistent positive approach in planning to make building reservoirs easier, which will lead to investment in on-farm water storage.”
‘Exceptionally serious situation’
The Environment Agency continues to warn of the possibility of a ‘flash drought’, which can be brought on by a sudden combination of very low rainfall and hot temperatures.
The Met Office forecast indicates that August is likely to remain dry with rainfall also likely to remain below normal. Dry conditions are probable to persist into September, with a chance of further heatwaves in the coming months. October is more likely to see rainfall, with the possibility of heavier rains than normal due to El Nino.
National Drought Group Chair and Director of Water at the Environment Agency Helen Wakeham said: “The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it.
“A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife, and the economy.
“We want everyone to stay safe and hydrated during the hot weather but every drop we can save is a drop more for nature and agriculture.”
Advice for farmers
In June, the EA published its latest edition of irrigation prospects for 2026, indicating that the situation is moderate to good, but parts of East Anglia and the West Midlands are projected to be moderate to poor.
Visit our dry weather information page for the latest information and advice.
More information is also available in the latest EA drought briefing and in the Defra press release: Drought declared in half of England | GOV.UK
