On 10 August 2026, the National Drought Group said 71.3% of England was in drought, following the driest July in 190 years and only 5% of expected rainfall that month to date. The East Midlands, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire, Kent & East Sussex, and Solent & the South Downs were the latest areas to move into drought status that day. The group said 45 million people lived in a drought area and over 27 million were under restrictions on water use. Eight water companies had introduced Temporary Use Bans in some or all of their areas.

The Environment Agency reported that reservoir levels had fallen to 69%, 11.6% lower than expected for the time of year, and that river flows were declining, with only 14% at normal levels. It recorded 134 incidents linked to drought and dry weather that year. Farmers reported their earliest harvests in 20 years, with reduced yields, and 1,534 irrigation restrictions were in place in East Anglia.

Tony Grayling, the agency's strategic drought lead and chair of the group, said conditions would keep worsening until significant sustained rainfall arrived. The Met Office said England and Wales had both recorded their driest and sunniest July on record, and that forecasts for the rest of August and September suggested below-average rainfall was more likely than above-average.