Research and analysis

Dry weather and drought in England: 25 to 31 July 2025

Updated 22 August 2025

Applies to England

1. Summary

This week has been the driest since mid-May and we continue to actively mitigate for the dry weather across the country. No more areas in the Environment Agency have moved to drought status but Essex and Suffolk Water is now at drought level 1 status. 

Water companies are continuing their drought communications and engaging customers where temporary use bans (TUBs, sometimes called ‘hosepipe bans’) have been implemented by Yorkshire Water, South East Water, Thames Water and Southern Water.

Southern Water applied for a drought order to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 July to alter its abstraction licence conditions and introduce restrictions on non-essential use of water.

Yorkshire Water has applied to the Environment Agency for 14 drought permits. The company has applied for a drought order as well. 

The Secretary of State granted the Environment Agency drought order on 30 July for the Holme Styes Reservoir in Yorkshire. The Environment Agency has awaits a decision on the drought order applied for Elslack reservoir in Yorkshire.

Public water supply reservoir levels across England are 69.7% full but some are at historic lows for the time of year, with Yorkshire Water reservoirs now 47% full and the Pennines group 41.2% 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 and are also closely monitoring the situation of Wessex Water, Anglian Water, Bristol Water, Northumbrian Water, Cambridge Water and Essex and Suffolk Water.

Restrictions on abstractions continue to be in place in catchments where hands-off flow conditions have been triggered by low flows. Wider environmental impacts, including algal blooms and fish kill incidents are continuing to rise but at a slower rate than in June.

2. Area drought status

There have been no changes in area drought status this week.

© Environment Agency copyright and database rights 2025. © Crown copyright and database rights 2025, OS AC0000807064.

2.1 Areas in drought

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

2.2 Areas in prolonged dry weather

• 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 reviewing its status depending on the triggers they have outlined in their drought plan.

More detail of how we manage drought, including our 4 stages of drought response, is available in Drought: how it is managed in England.

3. Current water situation

It has been a very dry week across England, with 5mm of rainfall recorded for England as a whole, making it the driest week since mid-May. Rainfall totals ranged from just 3mm in north-east England to 6mm in northwest and east England. Statistics for July so far are varied, with the northeast receiving 107% of long-term average rainfall for the period while the southwest has received just 52%.

With a dry week, river flows decreased at almost all sites. All except one site were classed as normal or lower for the time of year. In total, 24 sites (44% of the total) were classed as normal, 22 sites (40%) were classed as below normal, and 5 sites (9%) were classed as notably low for the time of year. Three sites were classed as exceptionally low, including the Wye and Ely Ouse catchments.

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

The dry weather this week means soil moisture deficits have increased across England, and in central England they remain close to the maximum for the time of year.

The forecast for the weekend is mixed, with showers expected on Friday before dry, sunny weather arrives on Saturday. Conditions may turn wetter on Sunday with heavy, localised showers. Monday is likely to bring unsettled weather, but it’s currently uncertain where the impacts will be felt, although it seems most likely that rainfall will occur in the northwest. The south and east are likely to remain dry.

More details are available in our water situation reports for England.

4. Public water supply

Public water suppliers continue to take action, in line with their drought plans. The only change since last week is Essex and Suffolk have moved into drought level 1. We expect more companies to move levels during August. 

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

4.1 Anglian Water

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

4.2 Bristol Water

Remains at drought level 2. The company have activated a range of activities in line with its drought plan and is continuing work to fully resolve outages. The rate of reservoir decline has slowed due the company’s work to get sources back in service, lower demand and with recent rainfall.

4.3 Cambridge Water

Remains at 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

Remains at 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

Remains at drought level 1b, in its North Staffs, and Strategic Grid East water resources zones. Its Strategic Grid West is in drought level 1a. Reservoirs are continuing to decline. We continue to discuss with the company further actions that may be required.

4.6 Southern Water

Remains at drought level 2 in its Hampshire and Isle of Wight water resources zones. Southern Water implemented a TUB on Monday 21 July for customers in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. Southern Water applied to Defra for a drought order to alter its River Test abstraction conditions and for a non-essential use drought order on 18 July.

4.7 South East Water

Remains at 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. The Ardingly level has dropped quickly again from last week. We are discussing further actions with the company.

4.8 South Staffordshire Water

Remains at 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

Remains at drought level 2 in its Swindon and Oxfordshire water resources zones and drought level 1 in its London zone. Thames Water implemented a TUB for its Swindon and Oxfordshire customers on 22 July.

4.10 United Utilities

Further rainfall and operational changes by the company 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

Remains at 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

Remain at drought level 2. The company implemented a TUB on 11 July and are within drought level 2. Reservoir decline has slowed since last week having only dropped 1.9% and reservoir levels are lower than in 1995 and 2022. The company has applied for the following:

• 12 drought permits in its northwest reservoir group – applications received on 24 July 
• 2 drought permits for its river abstractions on the Wharfe – applications received on 25 July

It has also applied to Defra for a drought order on the River Ouse at York. More details are available on the Yorkshire Water website.

5. Agriculture

With further drier weather, there is the possible need for Section 57 bans on spray irrigation in eastern catchments of East Anglia. We have written to irrigators in East Anglia to warn them of this possibility and our intention to phase them in where possible. We have asked abstractors to make voluntary reductions to help delay any formal restrictions. The situation on the River Wye catchment in West Midlands remains under review with no imminent intention to implement Section 57 bans. We are engaging with the agricultural community in the Wye catchment to promote good irrigation practices and efficient water use requesting that abstractors help to conserve their water supplies. We are liaising with Natural Resources Wales on the approach.

Despite the recent rainfall and unsettled conditions across many areas of the country, concerns remain within the agriculture sector regarding water supplies and resilience over the summer and autumn period. There are approximately 780 hands off flow restrictions in force as of 30 July, this is an increase of 130 from last week. Hands off flows are in-built conditions on some abstraction licences, which require abstractors to either reduce or stop abstraction when flows fall below a predetermined level set out in the licence. 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, as well as protect the environment. There are voluntary restrictions requests on 804 licences. In western East Anglia the number of abstraction nights has been increased due to improving stream flows.

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.

We continue to engage with the agriculture sector and to date have received fifteen flexible abstraction requests across areas, which exist to help abstractors manage with 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 Engagement HQ website 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 continued to rise steadily throughout July, a total of 112 incidents have been confirmed this year to date (note only 9% have been directly flagged as caused by drought and dry weather on our reporting system). The latest data shows that the current total number of algal incidents is similar to 2022, though lower than 2018.

The increase and overall numbers of confirmed (category 1 to 3) fish kill incidents is below confirmed numbers for 2022 and 2023. Incidents are widespread across the country, matching the widespread extent of the drought impacts.

Severn Regulation: There have been 46 days of regulation starting on 9 May 2025.

The Environment Agency has applied for 2 drought orders – one drought order at Elslack reservoir. The drought order for Holme Styes reservoir has been granted by Defra.

8. Navigation

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

We continue to manage low flows through Oxford watercourses including enforcing some navigation restrictions in the Oxford area on the River Thames. Levels are extremely low from Pinkhill to Culham, impacting safe navigation

9. Weather forecast

The forecast for the weekend is for a few showers in the east on Friday, before dry and sunny conditions dominate on Saturday. Conditions are likely to turn wetter on Sunday with heavy, localised showers. Monday is expected to bring unsettled, possibly stormy weather, but it’s uncertain where the impact may be felt. It seems most likely that rainfall will occur in the north-west, with the south and east remaining drier.

The latest 3-month outlook (August to October) for the UK (Issued 28 July) indicates that there is a higher than normal chance of the period being warm. This means there is an increased likelihood of heatwaves and heat related impacts. The chances of the period being wetter or drier than average are similar to normal.

10. Drought readiness actions

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

• operating our gold command structure for our 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 prolonged dry weather status
• enhancing abstraction licence compliance checks and issuing hands off flow or 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
• hosting regular national drought meetings

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

11. Contact us

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