Nearly three-quarters of England now in drought as 36C heatwave looms
The East Midlands, Kent and East Sussex are among the latest areas to enter drought conditions
Almost three-quarters of England is officially in "drought” as the country prepares to swelter in its fifth-heatwave of the summer later this week.
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The dry start to August follows the country’s driest July on record, the Environment Agency (EA) said.
Four more areas of England have moved into drought status, with 71.3% of the country now experiencing “flash drought” in the wake of very low rainfall and higher temperatures, the Environment Agency said.
The East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs have become the latest areas to move into drought.
The latest drought warnings came as parts of the UK braced for the fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to climb into the mid 30Cs later in the week, peaking at 36C on Thursday.
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Last week, the EA announced that half of England had plunged into flash drought – one which develops very quickly because of a combination of very low rainfall and high temperatures.
The latest announcement from the Environment Agency (EA) came after a meeting of officials, water companies and farming leaders under the National Drought Group.
They warned that all regions of the country are experiencing pressure on their water resources, with impacts on agriculture, public water supplies and the environment.
This summer has been one of extreme heat and dry conditions, with two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to the deaths of more than 2,800 people, followed by further heatwaves in July.
England had its driest July since records began in 1836, with some areas experiencing no rain for the entire month.
Parts of the UK are set to see their fifth heatwave of the summer as the country continues to bake in an unprecedented period of dry, hot weather.
Monday will be slightly cooler before temperatures rise again on Tuesday.
In some areas of the country car washes and swimming pools could face a water ban.
Southern Water has imposed a ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on July 10 – but it could now go further by applying to the Government for a Drought Order and Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB), which would affect businesses.
A NEUB would prevent companies from washing cars and windows with hosepipes or other mechanical devices, or filling non-domestic swimming or paddling pools.
Chessington World of Adventures has been forced to shut its doors following a water outage in the area.
The theme park announced the closure today and said that "all tickets booked for today will be automatically revalidated under our Return Promise and can be used on a future date."
Thames Water confirmed that a burst water main was impacting water services in the KT9 area.
Forecasters have warned of possible impacts to railway lines and power networks, as well as health consequences for vulnerable people.
“We’ll probably see highs reaching the mid-30s quite widely on Wednesday, and indeed on Thursday too for England and Wales,” Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said.
“On Wednesday, probably the Midlands, maybe a little bit further south, the M4 corridor, west of London, up towards the Midlands, is where we might have a small chance of reaching 36C in one or two spots.
“But Thursday at this stage looks the most likely hottest day of the week.
“So 36C is a fairly reasonable probability locally on Thursday and there’s a small chance it could get even higher than that.”
Health officials have warned of the effect on vulnerable people in the upcoming hot weather, with significant impacts possible in health and social care settings and a potential rise in deaths because of the heat.
Yellow heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency are in place for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.
The alerts continue until 9pm on Tuesday, but may well be extended as the hot weather continues.Meanwhile, the Met Office is considering issuing rare extreme heat warnings ahead of the scorching temperatures forecast later in the week.“
We sometimes issue extreme heat warnings, amber and red warnings, which we did back in June, so that’s under consideration at the moment,” Mr Morgan said.
More than 25 million people have restrictions on water use, the Environment Agency said, with millions under hosepipe bans, including all South East Water and Thames Water customers.
It comes as a wildfire rages in the New Forest which saw drivers ordered to leave their vehicles to "stay alive" by authorities.
More than 120 firefighters were working on Monday to contain the latest blaze which is affecting a square kilometre of heathland in the New Forest, Hampshire, and has closed the A31 after a vehicle fire.
Major wildfires have hit areas such as the Pennines, the Cairngorms in Scotland, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and Dunwich Heath in Suffolk.
After the latest meeting of the National Drought Group, its chairman Tony Grayling, strategic drought lead at the Environment Agency, said: “Drought conditions are worsening and will continue to do so until we see significant and sustained rainfall.
"We know the hot and dry weather is taking a real toll on farming and there will be long-lasting impacts on our environment.
“We want everyone to stay safe and hydrated over the summer, but we need everyone’s help in using a little less water to make sure our current water reserves last.
“Every drop we can save is a drop more for your local farmers, local wildlife and local rivers.”