England Places Eight Regions Under Prolonged Dry Weather Status and Expands Hosepipe Bans

Eight regions of England moved into prolonged dry weather status on Monday, the stage before drought, the National Drought Group announced Tuesday, listing East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and London, Wessex, Thames, Solent and the South Downs among them as Thames Water prepares to impose a hosepipe ban across its entire customer base starting Thursday.

The restriction will cover an additional 10.1 million people and bring the total number of residents under hosepipe bans in England above 20 million by the end of the week. Seven water companies have now implemented or announced such bans. Demand for public water supplies rose by as much as 30 percent on the hottest days this July.

A single hosepipe uses 1,000 litres per hour. River flows in 87 percent of English catchments stand at below normal to exceptionally low levels, the Environment Agency reported. The Rivers Avon in Hampshire, Cam, Derwent in Yorkshire, Swale, Tone, Wye and Yare are exceptionally low.

National reservoir storage sits 5 percent below the long-term average. England has received only 3 percent of its long-term average July rainfall through 21 July, the Met Office said. The south and east of the country recorded no rain at all.

Wisley in Surrey logged 33 consecutive dry days. Farmers began harvests early this summer. Paul Tompkins, deputy president of the National Farmers' Union, said parts of the east and south have seen exceptionally low rainfall this spring and summer. He added that the conditions could produce another difficult and expensive harvest after extreme weather in 2024 and 2025.

Natural Resources Wales placed the worst-affected regions of north and south-east Wales into prolonged dry weather status. The previous drought across much of England, Wales and eastern Scotland ended four months ago.