England warned of ongoing drought risk into 2026

Despite recent rainfall, much of England remains in drought as the country heads into winter, with reservoirs still far below expected levels and experts warning of continued water shortages into 2026.

England’s reservoirs should typically be around 76% full at this time of year, but 41% are less than half full.

The National Drought Group (NDG) – which includes the NFU, the Met Office, government departments, regulators, water companies, and environmental groups – met in central London this week to assess the ongoing situation.

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The Environment Agency (EA) told the group that England needs at least 100% of average rainfall (482mm) between now and March 2026 to recover largely from drought.

So far this year, only two months have seen more than average rainfall.

NDG chairman Helen Wakeham said: “The recent rain is very welcome, but it needs to be sustained over the next six months to ensure we are ready for next year.

“We need a lot more rain this winter to fill up our rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater. Even if it is wet outside, I urge people to use water as efficiently as possible to protect the environment and public water supplies.”

She added: “The changing climate means we must prepare for more droughts. Securing our water resources needs to be a national priority.”

The group urged all sectors – including water companies, agriculture, navigation, and energy – to strengthen their drought resilience.

Abstraction licence reviews

Farmers have been asked to review abstraction licences, boost reservoir storage, and share water with neighbouring farms where possible.

While recent rainfall has helped areas including Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire move into drought recovery status, officials warned conditions remain “fragile”.

The Met Office declared summer 2025 the hottest since records began in 1884 and spring the driest in 132 years.

Chief meteorologist Will Lang said: “By 28 October, provisional data shows England had only 61% of its expected annual rainfall. Without sustained and widespread precipitation, a consistent recovery from drought remains uncertain.”

The EA continues to co-ordinate the national drought response, classed as a “nationally significant incident”.

Meanwhile, the House of Lords’ environment and climate change committee has launched an inquiry into drought preparedness, warning England faces a public water supply deficit of 5bn litres a day by 2055.