More than half of England is officially in drought today after some places saw no rain for 43 days.The Environment Agency made the declaration just after midday for areas of central, eastern and southern England. The areas are East Anglia; Hertfordshire and the whole of London; Thames Valley; Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; Devon and Cornwall; the West Midlands and Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire).Britain is currently boiling in its fourth heatwave of the year, with temperatures set to reach 35C today and experts warning of 'exceptionally severe' wildfires.A plume of intense heat surging from North Africa is set to reach the UK today, after bringing exceptionally high temperatures to France and Spain and causing the worst wildfires in living memory.Amber heat-health alerts have also been issued for the East Midlands, the east, south-east and London as the mercury rises once again this summer.Amid the rising temperatures, supermarkets have resorted to rolling out Mediterranean-style fridges - with Waitrose buying up new equipment that can withstand outdoor temperatures of up to 48C.More than 100 branches of the chain have already installed the fridges, with retail director Tina Mitchell saying the company is 'continuing to invest in technology to keep products at peak freshness and improve energy efficiency'.Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs, said on Wednesday the bakery giant would also 'have to look at' upgrading its equipment.The increased heat has led to fears and warnings that wildfires could 'spread rapidly' with southern and eastern parts of England's already bone-dry landscapes particularly at risk.Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said: 'The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. Grass in Blackheath, south-east London, has turned entirely brown Weeks of minimal rain and the second hottest month on record in the UK has left the fields severely parched The basin of Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire is visible, where water is receding due to the continued dry weather'A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife and the economy.' The Met Office assessment showed any fires could be 'exceptionally severe' by Wednesday if they start in parts of London, the South East and eastern England.Fire services in England and Wales have so far responded to 706 wildfires in 2026, with more than 200 recorded in the last two weeks, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said. Eight wildfires are currently burning and 'being monitored' across the UK, with fire chiefs warning that there remains an 'elevated risk' of more igniting.The Royal Horticultural Society garden in Wisley, Surrey, has been named as the driest place in the UK after going 43 days without any precipitation, turning the gardens to scorched dust.If rain continues to hold off for another two days, it will equal the national record of 45 days set in the summer of 1976. Water minister Emma Hardy said: 'Our climate is changing, droughts are becoming increasingly common, and we need to be prepared for this new normal.'We're delivering long-term change in the water industry and driving record investments in infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs.'We expect water companies to follow their drought plans, to go further and faster to reduce leaks, and to ensure supplies are not disrupted even in the driest of weather.'