Published on
10/08/2026 - 18:57 GMT+2
Some 71.3% of England is in drought, the UK government said on Monday, after the nation experienced its driest July on record, with a fifth heatwave and scant rain forecast for the week ahead.
Parks and fields that are usually green at this point in the year were parched and yellow, according to AFP news agency photos, as river levels dwindled and farmers battling low crop yields warned of possible food shortages.
"Almost three-quarters of England is now in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August," the environment department said, as parts of the central Midlands and northeast England joined other areas of the country experiencing prolonged dry weather.
