Research and analysis

Dry weather and drought in England: 8 to 14 August 2025

Updated 15 August 2025

Applies to England

1. Summary

The fourth heatwave of the summer hit England this week bringing hot and dry conditions with temperatures exceeding 30°C in many parts of England. There was only 2mm of rainfall overall in the week ending 12 August.

Whilst the heatwave has amplified current drought conditions, there has been no change to the Environment Agency’s drought status this week. In addition to the 3 drought orders that the Environment Agency has already applied for to protect the environment at Holme Styes, Elslack and Winterburn reservoirs, we are applying for 2 further drought orders on 15 August for Holme Styes and Belmont reservoirs. The second drought order at Holme Styes is due to acceleration in the deteriorating water position.

Public water supply reservoir storage levels continue to recede at most reported reservoirs. Stocks across England for the period ending 12 August were 65.6%, falling 2.1% in the week. Ardingly, Clatworthy, Blithfield, Derwent Valley, Chew Valley, Blagdon and Yorkshire’s overall stocks are all now less than half full, and the Pennines group stocks are 38% (as of 10 August). United Utilities has now crossed its drought level 1 trigger and South Staffordshire Water has crossed its drought level 2 trigger.

Dry weather conditions have brought forward the harvest and current feedback from farmers indicates a drop in yield for many crops, especially cereals and peas. With dry weather set to continue, this will likely see further drops in river flows and water availability for irrigation. The Environment Agency sent letters on 14 August to 254 abstractors in the Wye Catchment asking for voluntary reductions.

Reports of environmental incidents have started to slow during the first part of August (pre-heatwave), with many being below corresponding counts for previous years. Across the country environmental incidents continue to be reported and the Environment Agency has continued to carry out fish rescues due to low water levels.

At the National Drought Group that was held on 11 August, the Canal and River Trust reported widespread closures and restrictions due to the dry weather. Storage reservoirs to support the canal network are experiencing their lowest levels since records began in 1998. Environment Agency navigation impacts include​ managing low flows through the Oxford and Great Ouse watercourses

2. Area drought status

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

2.1 Areas in drought

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

2.2 Areas in prolonged dry weather

• North East (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

This week has seen a return of hot and dry weather with heatwave thresholds exceeded in several areas. It has been very dry with little rainfall across England, apart from in parts of Cumbria. Rainfall for the first twelve days of August ranged from 29% of the August long term average in the northwest to 4% long term average rainfall in the southeast. With hot and dry weather, soils have dried with soil moisture deficits increasing across all areas.

With a dry week, river flows have receded at 93% of reported sites this week. Over three quarters (77%) are below normal or lower with 8 exceptionally low rivers for the time of year being the Rivers Wye in Wales, Severn in central England, Ely Ouse in east England, Tone and Bristol Avon in southwest England and Derwent, Swale and Till in northeast England.

Nationally reservoir storage levels fell by 2.1% during the past week to 65.6%. For the period ending 12 August, the lowest nationally reported reservoirs are:

• Pennines group (37.8%)
• Yorkshire stocks (41.9%)
• Blagdon (43.3%)
• Chew Valley (45%)
• Derwent Valley (45.7%)
• Blithfield (47.6%)
• Clatworthy (48%)
• Ardingly (48.9%)

As we would expect at this time of year, groundwater levels continue to recede. Levels in the Chilterns, North Downs and across East Anglia are in their normal range. However, at the end of July the limestone aquifers in the Cotswolds were exceptionally low for the time of year, and levels in faster responding chalk aquifers are notably low in Yorkshire, Wessex and the Isle of Wight.

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

4. Public water supply

Water companies continue to act, in line with their drought plans. 

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 supply areas: Fenland, Lincolnshire Central, Norfolk Norwich and the Broads, and Ruthamford Central, North, South and West. No significant change to water resource position from last week.

4.2 Bristol Water

Remains at drought level 2. Reservoir position is at 50% and continues to decline, even with action taken by the company to increase output from its Littleton water treatment works.

4.3 Cambridge Water

Remains at drought level 1. No significant change to water resource position from last week.

4.4 Essex and Suffolk Water

Remains at drought level 1 in its Essex and Northern Central supply areas. No significant change to water resource position from last week.

4.5 Northumbrian Water

Remains at drought level 1. No significant change to water resource position from last week.

4.6 Severn Trent Water

Remains at drought level 1b in its North Staffs and Strategic Grid East supply areas and at drought level 1a in its Strategic Grid West area. Reservoirs are continuing to decline. Tittesworth reservoir is at 47.7%, 1.2% lower than the previous week, Elan Valley is at 51%, 2.2% lower than last week, and Derwent Valley reservoirs are at 45.7%, 1.4% lower than last week.

4.7 Southern Water

Remains at drought level 2 in its Hampshire and Isle of Wight supply areas and implemented a temporary use band (TUB) on 21 July for customers in these areas. 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.

4.8 South East Water

Remains at drought level 2. The company implemented a TUB in its Kent and Sussex supply areas on 18 July. Arlington reservoir is currently at 54% full and Ardingly is at 43.8% full.

4.9 South Staffordshire Water

Moved to drought level 2. Blithfield reservoir is at 47.5% and has decreased by 1.3% in the last week. The company continues to review the need for further demand actions, and we are working with them on this.

4.10 Thames Water

Remains at drought level 2 in its Swindon and Oxfordshire supply area (SWOX) and drought level 1 in its London zone. Thames Water implemented a TUB for its SWOX customers on 22 July.

4.11 United Utilities

Moved to drought level 1 on 13 August. The company’s Pennine reservoir levels remain of concern, with storage at 37.8%, 1.5% lower than the last week.

4.12 Veolia Water

Moved to drought level 1 on 6 August and activated its drought plan.

4.13 Wessex Water

Remains at drought level 1b. Reservoir storage continues to decline.

4.14 Yorkshire Water

Remains at drought level 2 and implemented a TUB on 11 July. Reservoirs have declined 2.5% in the last week to 41.9% full. The company has applied for 22 drought permits and 1 drought order. This includes the recent application for its south group of permits (8 permits) on 8 August. More details from Yorkshire Water website.

5. Agriculture

With parts of the country experiencing heatwave conditions, impacts on the agriculture sector are continuing. The benefits from the recent rainfall have slowed and as of 13 August there are currently 1,029 hands off flow restrictions in force on abstraction licences. Hands off flows are in-built conditions on some abstraction licences that require abstractors to either reduce or stop abstraction when flows fall below a predetermined level set out in the licence.

Where river flows have been low, we are constantly reviewing the need for Section 57 irrigation bans in parts of East Anglia. We have previously written to licence holders in East Anglia, requesting voluntary reductions on surface water abstraction. This will help conserve and extend the total period when water is available for abstraction, protect the environment and delay the need for any formal restrictions. We are also monitoring the River Wye catchment in the West Midlands for any potential Section 57 bans and continue to engage with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the agriculture community to promote good irrigation practice and water efficiency. We sent letters on 14 August to 254 abstractors in the Wye Catchment asking for voluntary reductions.

With farmers now entering the main harvesting season there are some concerns around lifting of root vegetable crops, particularly where irrigation is limited. There have been impacts on grass growth and maize especially where rainfall and irrigation has been limited. Winter wheat has seen record breaking yields in places but crops such as peas have suffered due to heat stress and drought conditions. Straw and fodder stocks are expected to be in short supply this year, with higher prices expected as a result and livestock farmers may have to buy in food or sell animals to reduce pressure on feed supplies. Uncertainty and significant challenges remain in the sector especially if there is a dry autumn/winter period and farm irrigation reservoirs are not refilled, which may impact on the next year’s planting of crops.

We continue to engage with the agriculture sector and have received 15 flexible abstraction requests. These help abstractors manage with the exceptionally dry weather. Following the recent round of local resource options, we are currently reviewing applications to help farmers and growers improve long term water resilience.

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 environmental incidents have started to slow during the first part of August (pre-heatwave), with many being below corresponding counts for previous years. Across the country environmental incidents continue to be reported.

The Environment Agency has continued to carry out fish rescues due to low water levels, for example, on the lower reaches of River Lathkill on 8 August. Nationally the numbers of confirmed (category 1 to 3) fish kill incidents have remained stable over the past week with 174 incidents in the year to date.

The steady rise in reports of algal blooms over the year has slowed during the first part of August. A total of 131 incidents have been recorded in the year to date. There are a number of reported blue-green algae incidents, for example at Frensham Great Pond Bathing Water. 

Severn regulation: there have been 60 days of regulation starting on 9 May 2025.

We have applied for 3 drought orders to protect the environment: one for Elslack reservoir (submitted on 26 June) and one for Winterburn (submitted on 7 August), and one for Holme Styes reservoir (granted 28 July). We are applying for 2 further drought orders on 15 August for Holme Styes and Belmont reservoirs. The second drought order at Holme Styes is due to acceleration in the deteriorating water position.

8. Weather forecast

Friday is expected to be very warm and could exceed 30°C in southern England. The weekend will be fine and very warm with maximum temperatures again touching 30°C, there will be a shower risk in the west and southwest. Monday through to Wednesday will remain fine and dry with possible showers in the southwest.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office issued a Yellow Heat-Health Alert until 6pm on 18 August for:

• South West of England
• Yorkshire and The Humber
• South East of England
• London
• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• East of England

9. 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 Environment Agency 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 Environment Agency 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 15 September 2025.

10. Contact us

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