Drought still covers 71% of England by land despite recent rain and cooler weather, while average reservoir storage has fallen below 60%, the Environment Agency reported on August 28. The weekly assessment said August rainfall through August 27 reached only 34% of the long-term amount expected by that point, leaving water supplies, rivers and wildlife under sustained pressure.
The agency said reservoir storage declined another 2.7 percentage points during the week and stood more than 18% below the seasonal average. Nine major reservoirs had exceptionally low storage, two more than a week earlier, while more than half of monitored river sites recorded notably low or exceptionally low flows. Any improvement from recent rain could be brief if dry conditions return.
Approximately 30 million people now face restrictions on water use after Bristol Water began a temporary ban on August 27. Ten suppliers have bans across all or part of their service areas. Regulators also reported 1,412 restrictions on water-abstraction licences, alongside mandatory cuts to spray irrigation in East Anglia and voluntary reductions in several river catchments.
Environmental damage is mounting. Officials recorded 40 additional drought and dry-weather incidents during the latest week, taking the 2026 total to 266. These include 24 confirmed algal incidents, 44 confirmed fish-death incidents and 140 cases involving abstraction or low flows. Hard soils are also complicating root-crop harvesting, while low water has restricted navigation and forced cancellation of the Ross Rowing Regatta on the River Wye.
The rainfall itself created another hazard: more than 40 flood alerts were issued on August 27. The agency explained that intense rain can run off very dry ground rather than soak in, producing localized, short-lived flooding and carrying pollutants into rivers. Farmers were advised to assess soil and weather conditions before spreading slurry or other organic manure.
The Environment Agency has activated incident-management arrangements and increased environmental monitoring, while the National Drought Group is meeting weekly. Earlier official data described July as England and Wales' driest July in 190 years, and the Met Office said no sustained period of widespread rain was clearly indicated. Authorities said meaningful recovery will require prolonged rainfall rather than isolated downpours.
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