The devastating heat has left the country almost uncrecognisable in some cases, with Ashford, in Kent, looking more like a western frontier than an English town14:44, 05 Aug 2026Drought and prolonged dry weather have turned parts of Britain into a western-style frontier, with incredible new pictures capturing cattle kicking up a cloud of dust as they were driven across a field in Kent.‌The dramatic new images showing the large herd being guided through a field in Ashford conjure up memories of Clint Eastwood classics, with the area, which is experiencing "prolonged dry weather", struggling under the weight of four consecutive heatwaves. Water scarcity has meant farmers are struggling to cultivate crops like oats and wheat, and dairy cows, like those parading through Kent fields, are producing less milk.‌The image is one of many that has been produced by the growing crisis, which has sapped reservoirs, preventing farmers from also cultivating what would usually be a bumper crop.‌Ashford is among multiple areas across southern, central and eastern England experiencing "prolonged dry weather", according to the National Drought Group, placing them one step away from full-on drought - which has hit half of England. Others under the same status include Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, East Anglia, Hertfordshire and North London, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Wessex, the West Midlands, Thames and London, parts of Kent and South London, Solent and South Downs.Those areas could soon join East Anglia, Hertfordshire and the whole of London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex, including Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, in drought.‌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. 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."“We want everyone to stay safe and hydrated during the hot weather but every drop we can save is a drop more for nature and agriculture.”‌Harsh sunlight and temperatures stretching towards 30C have converted green and pleasant Britain into desert, with some of the UK's most iconic monuments, including Stonehenge and Greenwich Observatory, existing in a sea of yellow. The damage goes beyond aesthetic, however, with farmers warning that crop yields are dropping and cows struggling to produce milk.The NFU warned this week that it would be critical to secure water supplies, or the UK could face food shortages, with farmers requiring urgent water protection.Article continues belowNFU president Tom Bradshaw said: "We have taken food production for granted for too long; we must create a more resilient food system to feed the 29 million households across the country, and we can’t produce food without water." He told BBC Radio 4: “Those other countries around the world that we currently rely on to produce our food and vegetables, their climates are changing as well."It does feel like there is going be some shortages of [food] products." Around 23 million people are currently living under a hosepipe ban caused by the drought conditions, which have also fuelled devastating widfires, like one that has torn across Suffolk.