Image description: Panoramic views of Hertfordshire’s rural heartland. The short-cut agricultural grass is yellowed and dry. Image credits: Photo by Jan Kraus on Unsplash
45 million people in England now experiencing drought
Drought conditions in England have continued to persist with a dry start to August, putting almost three-quarters of England in drought, affecting more than 45 million people.
Following the driest July in 190 years, the National Drought Group has warned all regions of the country are experiencing pressure on their water resources – with increasing impacts across agriculture, public supplies, navigation, and the environment.
The East Midlands, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire, Kent & East Sussex, and Solent & the South Downs became the latest to move into drought status today. The North East and Yorkshire have moved to prolonged dry weather – the stage before drought – with nowhere now deemed in normal status.
Along with the areas announced last week, the government says most of the country (71.3%) is now experiencing a flash drought – which develops very quickly brought about by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures. This takes the total to 45 million people in a drought area. Over 27 million people are now living under restrictions on water use.
England has received just 5% of expected rainfall this month to date. There are warnings of more dry weather and another heatwave on the way, with temperatures tipped to reach the mid-30s in some places. Climate change has contributed to droughts become more likely and more frequent, with three droughts in the past five years alone – 2022, 2025 and now 2026.
Water Minister Emma Hardy has encouraged water companies to do more to cut leaks, which increase in the hot weather as pipes move in dry soils.
Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires
However, the Guardian has exclusively revealed via a freedom of information request that just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within a key government department tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security. The officials make up 0.3% of staff within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Guardian reports that the government has been warned by the climate change adaptation committee that it is lagging far behind in terms of adapting to a new climate as a result of global heating.
The data was obtained by environmental writer and campaigner Guy Shrubsole, who warns “England is desperately unprepared for the impacts of the climate crisis, and these shocking figures show how few officials are working on the problem at the top of government”.
Shrubsole called on the new environment secretary, Angela Eagle, to seize the moment amid heatwaves and wildfires to greatly boost staffing and funds for climate adaptation. He also asked Andy Burnham to take heed from his recent tenure as Manchester mayor, when his contituents were affected by both flooding and wildfires, and ensure he “levelled with the country about the climate emergency and set out a radical plan to get us off fossil fuels and prepare communities for extreme weather.”
Andy Burnham’s silence on the climate crisis
Concerningly, since taking office Burnham has not mentioned the climate crisis, the extreme heat the UK is experiencing this summer, the wildfires that have taken hold from the south-west to the north of England, nor the drought covering almost three-quarters of the country.
The Guardian exclusive notes the data comes as Burnham is being challenged by the Wildife Trusts and other leading environmental NGOs in his first 100 days in office to reset the government’s approach to the environmental emergencies facing the UK. They want him to recognise that ecological restoration, such as rewetting bogs and managing natural flood defences, is essential to national security and public health.
On Wednesday, No 10 announced Burnham would chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the extreme heat. The prime minister will meet ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK, with temperatures of 33C forecast on Wednesday and up to 38C on Thursday.
A Defra spokesperson said: “Climate adaption underlines work throughout the whole department – from nature recovery to flooding response to sustainable farming on top of a direct and dedicated team. It is a key priority for this government.
“We are already strengthening our approach to climate adaptation through our work with the National Drought Group, building nine new reservoirs across the country and investing at least £10.5 billion by March 2036 to construct new flood and coastal erosion schemes, as extreme weather becomes more frequent.”