Almost three-quarters of England is in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August, officials have said. The East Midlands, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Kent, East Sussex, Solent and the South Downs became the latest areas to move into drought status on Monday.
Drought conditions worsening
Tony Grayling, chairman of the National Drought Group, said: “Drought conditions are worsening and will continue to do so until we see significant and sustained rainfall.”
“We know the hot and dry weather is taking a real toll on farming and there will be long-lasting impacts on our environment.”
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 means 45 million people are now living in drought-affected areas, with more than 27 million under water-use restrictions.
Heat health alerts issued
An amber heat health alert has been issued for most of the country, with temperatures forecast to soar into the mid-30Cs on Wednesday. The Met Office said the mercury is set to peak at 36C in some spots on Thursday as part of the fifth heatwave this summer.
Polly Ashmore, acting consultant in public health at the UK Health Security Agency, urged people to take simple steps to stay safe, such as drinking lots of water, keeping indoor spaces cool and avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day. She said: “For vulnerable groups, including older adults and those with existing health conditions, warmer weather can result in serious health outcomes.”
Amber heat health alerts will be in place for the East Midlands, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, London, North-west, South-east, South-west, and West Midlands, along with a yellow heat health alert for the North-east, from Tuesday at 9am until Friday, August 14 at 9pm.
Record July heat and dry spell
Southern England also had its hottest July on record, while it was the joint hottest July on record for Wales, and the UK and England had their second hottest July, Met Office figures show.
Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: “Heat will gradually build this week, with temperatures reaching into the mid-30Cs in what will be a fairly widespread heatwave for England and Wales.”
“The driver for this week’s heat is high pressure, this becoming dominant over the next day or so, bringing plenty of sunshine and allowing temperatures to build day-by-day. Southerly or south-easterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe, meaning we’re looking at further notable heat for many this week, likely peaking on Thursday.”
England and Wales have had their driest July in records dating back to 1836, with 19 counties of England seeing no rain for the entire month, provisional statistics have shown.
Impact on water, farming, and wildfires
Some 23 million customers have hosepipe bans as rivers and reservoirs run low, and farmers have warned of a “brutal harvest” for crops and a lack of feed for livestock.
The UK is increasingly struggling with the impact of more extreme weather fuelled by climate change. Major wildfires have hit areas such as the Pennines, the Cairngorms in Scotland, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and Dunwich Heath in Suffolk.
On Monday, more than 120 firefighters were tackling a fire on internationally protected heathland in the New Forest National Park after it spread from a vehicle.
Downing Street defended the Government’s response to the heatwave and wildfires, insisting it was focused on both the immediate response and long-term resilience to increasing extremes. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Our climate is changing. Droughts are becoming more common, which is why we’re focused on both the immediate response and long-term resilience.”
