The Environment Agency has officially declared drought conditions across seven regions covering half of England, following record-low rainfall that left July with just 7% of its expected precipitation. This 'flash drought' occurs alongside the UK's fourth summer heatwave, prompting the UK Health Security Agency to issue amber health alerts. Water companies have placed 40% of the population under hosepipe bans, while emergency services battle severe field fires in Cambridgeshire and major wildfires rage across France and Spain.
Field fires in Cambridgeshire
- ▪Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed approximately 35 firefighters to contain the field fire near Peakirk
- ▪Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service responded to 20 fires within a span of a few hours over the weekend of July 25-26, 2026
- ▪A large field fire spread through three arable fields near the village of Peakirk in Cambridgeshire over the weekend of July 25-26, 2026
Fourth UK heatwave conditions
- ▪The Met Office verified a new England and UK June daily temperature record of 38C on July 29, 2026
- ▪The Met Office recorded a mean UK temperature of 17.5C for July 2026, making it the second-hottest July on record behind July 2006
- ▪The United Kingdom is experiencing its fourth heatwave of 2026, with temperatures forecast to peak at 35C in southeastern areas on July 29, 2026
Drought declaration across England
- ▪England received only 7 percent of its expected rainfall in July 2026, while southern England received only 1 percent
- ▪The seven areas declared in drought are East Anglia, Hertfordshire, London, Thames Valley, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight, Devon & Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex
- ▪In England, 78 percent of rivers are flowing at below normal levels, with 17 percent classified as exceptionally low
- ▪The Environment Agency officially declared drought conditions in seven areas across central, eastern, and southern England on July 29, 2026
- ▪England's reservoir storage levels have fallen to 7.4 percent below the historical average for this time of year
Hosepipe bans by water companies
- ▪Greenpeace UK research indicates that water companies in England and Wales waste five times more water through leaky pipes than a nationwide hosepipe ban would save
- ▪Approximately 40 percent of the English population is under a hosepipe ban, with seven water companies restricting water usage
- ▪The seven water companies enforcing water restrictions are Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water, and South West Water
Amber health alerts issued
- ▪The UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow heat health alert for the West Midlands, South West, and Yorkshire and the Humber
- ▪The UK Health Security Agency issued an amber heat health alert for the East Midlands, East of England, London, and the South East until July 30, 2026
European wildfire evacuations
- ▪Wildfires in southwestern France have forced the evacuation of nearly 4,000 people from tourist sites near Bordeaux
- ▪Wildfires in Spain have burned more than 10,000 hectares in the eastern province of Castellon, leaving the blaze out of control
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