Drought - Its official!
DEFRA: Government activates plan to protect consumers as severe drought declared in parts of England. 16 Oct 2026. A severe drought has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. While customer supplies are uninterrupted, today's action follows an unprecedented period of extreme weather. The Government has declared that specified areas have experienced their driest April to September in over a century, impacting reservoir le
190 years later.
Almost three-quarters of England faced drought conditions by August 2026, leaving agricultural soils severely desiccated following the driest July in 190 years. Soil moisture levels dropped significantly nationwide following record-low rainfall and prolonged high temperatures through the summer. Around 72% of England entered official drought status, restricting normal soil recovery and grass growth. The prolonged lack of water resulted in yield capping for all crop types with
