Image description: Rain clouds forming in the sky. Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash

England’s drought conditions continued to deteriorate through the week of the latest Environment Agency (EA) situation report. England received just 65% of long-term average rainfall for the month, with river flows declining at nearly two-thirds of monitoring sites, with almost all now classified as below normal or lower for the time of year. Reservoir storage across England stands at 55%, compared to a seasonal norm of approximately 74.3%, with 16 reservoirs or reservoir groups below half capacity and six classified as exceptionally low. Groundwater levels continued their seasonal decline, with the majority of sites classed as normal or lower. September marked the sixth month of 2026 to record below-average rainfall nationally, with the east of England receiving just 52% of its average.

Drought status and ongoing restrictions

Ten Environment Agency areas remain in formal drought status, with the remainder in prolonged dry weather status. Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) remain in place across ten water companies, affecting approximately 30 million people. South East Water is additionally seeking a Non-Essential Use Ban. New Appointment and Variation (NAV) operators within affected supply areas are also subject to equivalent restrictions. The EA has confirmed that 767 formal restrictions on abstraction licences are currently in force, alongside 1,383 voluntary restrictions reducing abstraction by 50%, concentrated across the Thames, Wye, and Severn catchments.

Agricultural pressures 

With the peak irrigation season passing, the EA has introduced Regulatory Position Statement 382, permitting eligible holders of winter abstraction licences to begin refilling on-farm reservoirs from 1 October rather than waiting until November. The measure is intended to support farm business resilience following an exceptionally dry summer, backed by a wider a £65m package for farmers affected by drought, including up to £15m for on-farm reservoirs, and £100m to strengthen the UK’s capacity to respond to extreme weather and wildfires. The Government also points to plans for nine new reservoirs by 2050, alongside desalination plants and water transfers, as part of longer-term supply resilience.

Environmental impacts

Confirmed environmental incidents in 2026 have now exceeded totals recorded in both 2022 and 2025. Recent incidents include no-flow conditions in the River Ouseburn in the Tyne catchment and persistent blue-green algal blooms affecting a 10km stretch of the Lower Thames, including the Ham and Kingston bathing waters.

What to watch

The EA has warned that England would require approximately 120% of average rainfall over the coming months for drought conditions to fully resolve by spring 2027. The National Drought Group continues to meet weekly, with the next scheduled formal meeting on 19 October.