More than half of England officially in drought

Drought has been officially declared in more than half of England, as prolonged hot and dry weather severely strains the country's water resources. The Environment Agency (EA) announced that seven regions, covering large areas of central, eastern, and southern England, are now in official drought status.

The consequences are already apparent: river levels are low, harvests have begun earlier than usual, and the risk of wildfires is very high. Over 20 million people are already subject to hosepipe bans.

Northern Wales and the upper Severn River basin also entered drought status last week, according to Natural Resources Wales. Scotland does not officially declare droughts but monitors a situation termed 'water scarcity,' with parts of eastern Scotland currently experiencing 'significant water scarcity.'

"We are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it," said Helen Wakeham, director of water resources at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group. This year has seen a "climate whiplash" effect, with very wet January and February followed by an exceptionally hot and dry late spring and summer. July was particularly dry, with England receiving only 7% of its average rainfall, and southern parts receiving just 1%.

While early August might bring some rain to certain areas, the Met Office indicates no signs of prolonged rainfall that would significantly alleviate the situation.

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We are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it.