National Drought Group meets to address"nationally significant " water shortfall

Five areas remain in drought with six more in prolonged dry weather

The National Drought Group met today (Monday 11 August) with the current water shortfall situation in England now defined as a “nationally significant incident.”  

Five areas are officially in drought, with six more experiencing prolonged dry weather following the driest six months to July since 1976.    

Despite the unsettled weather last month, many river flows and reservoir levels in England continued to recede compared to June.   

Rainstorms and showers helped mask the fact that July was still the fifth warmest on record.   

August has started to see a return of drier conditions and the fourth heatwave of the summer - putting more pressure on already struggling public water supplies and navigational waterways.   

The National Drought Group - which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, the National Farmers’ Union, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts – used the meeting to highlight the water-saving measures each sector is taking.   

They also praised the public for reducing their own daily usage, with Yorkshire Water reporting a 10% reduction in domestic demand following their hosepipe ban. This equates to saving up to 80 million litres per day – equivalent to 32 Olympic-sized swimming pools.   

The less water that is used, the less needs to be abstracted from local rivers – therefore protecting the health of our waterways and wildlife.