For the third time in five years, England is experiencing something unusual: drought. This time, officially. The UK Environment Agency declared today, Monday, that nearly half of England's territory is experiencing a drought. In fact, only 20% of this country - one of the four that make up the UK - has the usual water levels for this time of year.
The drought is currently concentrated in the south and west of the territory, as anyone taking a stroll through one of London's huge parks and looking at the dried-out grass can confirm. But the problem goes beyond aesthetics. The five million inhabitants of the East Anglia region, northeast of the capital, are living with restrictions on using hoses to water their fields and gardens. And in the last twelve days, 208 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales.
This situation illustrates the severity of the drought because last winter, when rainfall in England was a spectacular 42% above average, no one could have imagined a summer without water.
But then came an exceptionally dry spring and summer, cloudless and hot. So far, 2026 is the year with the most days where the thermometer has exceeded 34 degrees Celsius, and the first where temperatures have reached 35 degrees in three different months. June has also been the hottest month in history.
July seems poised to almost break that record, although the new heatwave may give it the final push to achieve it. What is certain is that it is the driest month ever recorded in England, with precipitation 95% below average, meaning that, except in a few places, it simply has not rained.
Amid what is already the fourth heatwave of the year, the central and southern UK - namely, England - is having to routinely face water consumption restrictions, especially in its southern and eastern regions. This is something that until recently would have been unimaginable. But it seems that the world, at least in terms of climate, is experiencing unprecedented historical times. The House of Lords issued a report in May warning that in three decades, the UK could face a deficit of five million tonnes of water annually.