Research and analysis

Dry weather and drought in England: 17 to 23 July 2025

Published 25 July 2025

Applies to England

1. Summary

Despite this week’s wetter conditions, it was not enough to reverse the dry conditions that have contributed to the driest start to the year for England since 1976. The Environment Agency area of East Anglia (East) moved into prolonged dry weather on 21 July.

Further companies have now implemented temporary use bans (TUBs) including Thames Water (22 July), Southern Water (16 July), and South East Water (18 July). Yorkshire Water reported a 3% drop in demand for water during the first weekend following introduction of their TUB on Friday 11 July.

Southern Water has applied to the Secretary of State for a drought order to take more water from the River Test and implement a non-essential drought order. The Environment Agency has sent letters to 395 spray irrigators in East Anglia to ask for voluntary reductions in how much water they abstract.

Public water supply reservoir levels across England are 71.3% full but some are at historic lows for the time of year, with Yorkshire reservoirs now 48.9% full and the Pennines group 41.8% full. Our main concerns for this summer currently relate to:

• Yorkshire Water
• Parts of United Utilities
• South Staffordshire Water
• Parts of Severn Trent Water
• Parts of Thames Water
• Parts of Southern Water
• South East Water due to high demands for water

We are seeing the impact of the dry weather on water resources more broadly. We are also closely monitoring the situation of Wessex Water, Anglian Water, Bristol Water, Northumbrian Water and Cambridge Water.

Restrictions on abstractions are in place in catchments where hands-off flow conditions have been triggered by low flows. This resulted in abstraction licence holders either having to reduce their abstraction or stop altogether according to their licence conditions.

Wider environmental impacts, including algal blooms and fish kill incidents, have steadied over the past week.

2. Area drought status

There has been one change in area drought status this week with the remaining catchments in East Anglia area (North-West Norfolk, Broadland, East Suffolk and Essex) moving into Prolonged Dry Weather status (see map).

2.1 Areas in drought

• Cumbria & Lancashire (CLA)
• Greater Manchester Merseyside & Cheshire (GMMC)
• Yorkshire (YOR)
• East Midlands (EMD)
• West Midlands (WMD)

2.2 Areas in prolonged dry weather (PDW):

• Northeast (NEA)
• Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire (LNA)
• East Anglia (EAN)
• Thames (THM)
• Wessex (WSX)
• Solent and South Downs (SSD)

2.3 How the stages of drought response work

Each area is regularly reviewing its status based on the triggers in their drought plan.

Further detail of how we manage drought including our four stages of drought response are available in section 4.2.1 of Drought: how it is managed in England.

North and East Wales remain in PDW status. Further details are available at Natural Resources Wales Dry weather updates 2025.

3. Current water situation

It’s been the wettest week for England since late February bringing much needed rainfall across most of the country. England received 25mm this week with the highest rainfall totals of 30mm in the north-east and south-east and the lowest of 16mm across central England.

Rainfall for the first 22 days of July ranged from 46% of the July long term average (LTA) in the south-west to 102% in the north-east. The forecast for the weekend is for it to be largely dry with the chance of showers, some of which could be heavy. It should be drier on Monday with the chance of any showers diminishing.

With a wetter week, river flows increased at three-quarters of sites. 24 indicator sites (44%) were normal for the time of year, 16 sites (31%) were classed as above normal or higher. 15 sites (27%) were below normal or lower. Flows remained exceptionally low in the Wye and Ely Ouse catchments.

There has been little change in groundwater levels this week as most aquifers continue to recede.

The rainfall has reduced soil moisture deficits across all areas except north-west and central England where they are still tracking close to maximum for the time of year.

Further details are available from Water situation reports for England.

4. Public water supply

Public water supplies continue to decline across most areas. We are preparing for multiple drought permit applications from several water companies during July and August, and Defra expect several drought order applications. Recent rainfall in some areas has helped stabilise or slightly improve reservoir decline, but over half are still declining.

Water companies report their drought response using operational drought levels, from drought level 1 escalating to level 4.

4.1 Anglian Water (AW)

AW remains in drought level 1 in resource zones Fenland, Lincolnshire Central and Norfolk Norwich & the Broads. No significant change to water resource position from last week, actions continue in line with its drought plan.

4.2 Bristol Water (BW)

BW has moved to drought level 2. The company have activated a range of activities in line with its drought plan, and are working to resolve outages which the company report will help slow reservoir decline.

4.3 Cambridge water (CW)

CW remains in drought level 1. No significant change to water resource position from last week, actions continue in line with its drought plan.

4.4 Northumbrian Water (NW)

NW remains in drought level 1 but has no water supply concerns. No significant change to water resource position from last week, actions continue in line with its drought plan.

4.5 Severn Trent Water (STW)

STW remain in drought level 1b in its North Staffs and Strategic Grid East water resources zones (WRZs). Its Strategic Grid West is in drought level 1a. Reservoirs are continuing to decline. The Environment Agency continue to discuss with the company about further actions that may be required.

4.6 Southern Water (SW)

SW remain in drought level 2 in its Hampshire and Isle of Wight WRZs. SW applied to Defra for its River Test drought management option on 18 July, as flows on the River Test continue to fall.

SW have implemented a TUB on Monday 21 July for customers in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. SW applied for a drought order to alter its River Test abstraction conditions and for a Non-Essential Use drought order to Defra on 18 July.

4.7 South East Water (SEW)

SEW remain in drought level 2. The company implemented a TUB in its Kent and Sussex supply areas on Friday 18 July. The company is closely monitoring its Arlington and Ardingly reservoirs. Ardingly level has again dropped quickly from last week. The Environment Agency are discussing further actions with the company.

4.8 South Staffordshire Water (SSW)

SSW remains in drought level 1, and its reservoir level continues to decline. The company continues its actions as set out in its drought plan and is reviewing the need for further actions which may be required.

4.9 Thames Water (TW)

TW remain in drought level 2 in its Swindon and Oxfordshire WRZ (SWOX) and drought level 1 in its London zone. TW implemented a TUB for its SWOX customers on 22 July.

4.10 United Utilities (UU)

Further rainfall and operational changes by UU has continued to improve the position. However, levels are still low for time of year and its Pennine reservoirs in the strategic grid remain of concern. The company have activated a range of supply and demand activities to conserve storage in these reservoirs.

4.11 Wessex Water (WW)

WW remains in drought level 1a. No significant change to water resource position from last week, actions continue in line with its drought plan.

4.12 Yorkshire Water (YW)

YW remain in drought level 2. The company implemented a TUB on 11 July and are within drought level 2. Reservoir decline has slowed since last week but still dropped by nearly 2%. The company is preparing to apply for drought permits this week.

Companies not included above are in business as usual, and the Environment Agency are regularly engaging with all companies and with Water UK on the situation.

5. Agriculture

Despite the recent rainfall across many areas of the country, concerns remain within the agriculture sector regarding water supplies and resilience over the summer and autumn period.

Whilst rivers flows have generally increased in recent days, there are still approximately 650 hands off flow restrictions in force as of 23 July, which are mandatory conditions on some abstraction licences (to either reduce or stop abstraction).

If the dry weather continues into the early autumn, there is a further risk to harvesting of root crops which require irrigation to be lifted from the ground, especially where conditions are very dry.

Due to low river flows in parts of East Anglia, we have written to licence holders requesting voluntary abstraction reductions on surface water to:

• help conserve and extend the total period when water is available for abstraction
• protect the environment

We have written to 395 abstractors in the Eastern catchments in East Anglia asking for voluntarily restrictions. We continue to engage with the agriculture sector and to date have received fourteen flexible abstraction requests across areas, which exist to help abstractors manage exceptional dry weather events.

The livestock sector has been suffering from low forage stocks, with winter feed used where grass growth has been impacted this year. However, the recent rainfall has brought some temporary relief to livestock farmers with improved grazing conditions.

We continue to proactively update our dry weather communications for the agriculture sector, through the Environment Agency dry weather farming blog and Water Hub webpage, to highlight support available to farmers to help improve access to water.  

6. Energy 

There are no known issues with the energy sector. 

7. Environment

Reports of algal blooms have steadied over the past week. The latest data shows that the current total number of algal incidents is lower than at the same point in recent years.

The number of confirmed (cat 1-3) fish kill incidents stabilised and remain below previous years. There has been a sharp rise in the number of estimated and confirmed (cat 1-3) fish kills since mid-June, driven notably by trends in Greater Manchester and Wessex areas. Incidents are widespread across the country, matching the widespread extent of the drought impacts. We have carried out fish rescues, notably for example on the River Teme in our West Midlands area.

Navigation restrictions continue through the Canal & River Trust network with current navigation closures and restrictions across the Leeds and Liverpool, Peak Forest, Rochdale, Oxford and Grand Union canal.

We are managing low flows through Oxford watercourses including enforcing some navigation restrictions in the Oxford area on the River Thames.

Severn Regulation: There have been 32 days of regulation starting on 9 May 2025.

The Environment Agency have applied for two drought orders - one drought order at Elslack reservoir and another drought order for Holme Styes reservoir. 

8. Weather forecast

The forecast for the weekend is for it to be largely dry with the chance of showers, some of which could be heavy. It should be drier on Monday with the chance of any showers diminishing. As August arrives, dry and settled weather from the east and south-east will spread across the whole country.

The latest three-month outlook (July to September) for the UK (Issued 30 June) indicates the chance of the period being hot is higher than normal. This increases the likelihood of heatwaves and heat-related impacts. The chances of a wet or dry period are similar to normal.

9. Drought readiness actions

In response to the drought and dry weather, the Environment Agency continues to act by: 

• operating their gold command structure for their national incident response
• coordinating closely with water companies to implement statutory drought plans, taking necessary action to safeguard public water supplies
• activating drought plans for those areas in drought and PDW status
• enforcement of abstraction licence compliance and issuing hands off flow/level restrictions and warnings to some abstractors in areas experiencing low flows
• monitoring, preparing and responding to incidents caused by low river flows, particularly in those areas in drought status
• preparing dry weather advice to fishery operators to help protect their waters
• regular national drought meetings

The next National Drought Group meeting is scheduled for 11 August.

This briefing is weekly, with the next edition due on 31 July.  

Contact drought.national@environment-agency.gov.uk if you have any questions about this report.