The National Drought Group (NDG) met yesterday and agreed to step up its operational response as a drought was declared in the West and East Midlands.

Since the group last met on 5 June, the situation has deteriorated, with further areas, including the West and East Midlands, now officially in drought and recently three more areas moved into prolonged dry weather status (Lincs and Northants, East Anglia, and Thames area). A hosepipe ban is set to be introduced from 22nd July by Thames Water following a period of prolonged dry weather in the area.

Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency Director for Water and National Drought Group chair, said:  

“This has been the driest start to the year since 1976, and we need to make sure our water supplies can sustain us through the summer. 

“Today I have asked all the partners who make up the national drought group to step up their operational response to manage the drought and use water wisely. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground actively monitoring river levels and working to ensure there is enough water for the people and the environment.”

Across England, rainfall was 20% less than long term average for June. June was also the hottest on record for England, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water. Reservoir levels continue to fall, with overall storage across England at 75.6% and at 53.8% in Yorkshire necessitating a Temporary Use Ban (TUB).

The National Drought Group heard that without further substantial rain, some water companies may need to implement further drought measures, including more Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) to conserve supplies. 

The Environment Agency expects and will ensure that water companies follow their drought management plans. Water companies need to step up their work to fix leaks and adjust their operations to conserve water.

The public is being asked to think about how they use water at home and in the garden, and to comply with any local restrictions.

Farmers are using water efficiently, supporting one another, and looking to trade water and welcome the support from the Environment Agency.

However, without further rain, the agricultural community are facing a range of challenges due to the dry weather including concerns about irrigation reservoir levels. It is likely that yields will be lower than last year, particularly non-irrigated grains and straw 

Impacts across wildlife away from rivers and reservoirs have been seen since March, including wildfires, drying up wetlands and coastal sites, with the loss of breeding seasons for rare species.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said: 

“I have asked the National Drought Group to step up its response to ensure we are successfully managing the impacts of ongoing dry weather. Water companies must now take action to follow their drought plans - I will hold them to account if they delay.

“We face a growing water shortage in the next decade. That’s why we are pushing ahead with urgent water reforms under our Plan for Change, which includes £104 billion of private investment to build nine reservoirs and new pipes to cut leaks.”

Dr Will Lang, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, commented:

Although some areas saw rainfall at the start of July, for many the month so far has been fairly dry, continuing a pattern seen through spring and June. We’ve now recorded our third heatwave of the summer and following a period of fresher, more unsettled conditions it’s likely to turn warmer and more humid again across many parts of England later this week. There’s also the possibility of heavy, thundery showers for some places too.

“It does look as though we’ll see typical changeable weather during the latter third of July and into early August with a mix of rain, showers. Confidence in details inevitably gets lower, the further ahead we look, but this would be consistent with our seasonal expectations.”

Click here to read an Expert Focus article by Antonin Fradin, Head of Smart Operations and Assets for SUEZ Digital Solutions, which takes an in-depth look at how organisations tackle drought in an era of growing water scarcity.