Public urged to use water wisely as drought set to continue into 2026

The public are being urged to use water wisely as officials warn that England must prepare for an ongoing drought into 2026.

The national drought group, which includes the Met Office, regulators, government, water companies, and other organisations, convened on Thursday as autumn rainfall remains insufficient to offset the dry conditions of spring and summer.

Drought conditions are now expected to continue through to next year unless there is significantly more rain in the coming months, the expert group said.

The recent wet weather has helped ease shortages in two areas – Cumbria and Lancashire, and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, with officials announcing they have moved out of drought status and into drought recovery status as of Thursday.

But the group also warned their position is fragile and with further dry weather, these areas could move back to drought.

Households are being asked to take water conservation measures, from turning off taps when they are not in use to fitting a water butt to capture rainfall.

All sectors – including water companies, agriculture, navigation, and energy – have also been told to start taking steps to increase their resilience for a prolonged drought.

Farmers have been urged to check their licences for abstracting water from rivers, speak to the Environment Agency if they are likely to need flexibility, look to increase reservoir storage and work with their neighbours to share water.

The measures come on top of hosepipe bans imposed by Yorkshire Water, Thames Water, South East Water and Southern Water in some areas, which will remain until their water resources situation recovers.

The national drought group praised the public for following these restrictions, saying it has kept more water in local rivers and lakes.

The Met Office declared the summer of 2025 the hottest since records began in 1884, while the spring was the driest in 132 years.

By October 28, provisional Met Office data showed England had only 61% of its expected annual rainfall, when the country would normally have about 80% at this time of the year.

Meanwhile, just 41% of reservoirs remain under half full when 76% should be full around now.

Meeting in central London on Thursday, the national drought group heard England needs at least 100% the average rainfall – 482mm – to largely recover from drought by the end of March.

Putting this in context, only two months of 2025 have seen more than 100% so far, they added.

Helen Wakeham, chairwoman of the group, said: “The recent rain is very welcome, but it needs to be sustained over the next six months to ensure we are ready for next year.

“We need a lot more rain this winter to fill up our rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater.

“Even if it is wet outside, I urge people to use water as efficiently as possible to protect the environment and public water supplies.”

Pressure on water has been growing in recent years amid competing demands from public use, businesses, agriculture and the environment, as well as the growing impacts of climate change.

Ms Wakeham warned that as the impacts of global warming intensify, the country will have to prepare for more droughts in the coming years.

“Securing our water resources needs to be a national priority,” she said.

“We expect water companies to continue their water-saving messaging, even through the winter, as well as carry on reducing leaks.”

As part of preparations, water firms have been told to promote more efficient water use and increase their efforts to reduce leakage.

They must also make sure their assets, such as pipes, pumps and reservoirs, are working well and submit applications for drought permits early to maximise water storage, the national drought group said.

While the recent rainfall has helped ease pressure on the agricultural sector, the group said there are concerns heading into winter over feed availability for livestock because of poor grass growth over the spring and summer.

Navigation on the Canal & River Trust network is gradually improving including key lock flights on the Oxford and Grand Union Canal now open, it added.

Will Lang, Met Office chief meteorologist, said: “This year has been characterised by notable rainfall deficits across much of England.

“While recent rainfall has helped, regional variations remain, and drought conditions continue to affect several areas.

“Looking ahead, there is an increased risk of dry spells through late autumn and early winter and regional differences in rainfall continue to be likely.

“Without sustained and widespread precipitation, a consistent recovery from drought remains uncertain.”

Drought continuing into winter means the country could see flooding, including flash floods, as dry soils struggle to soak up intense downpours and stormy conditions.

Environment minister Emma Hardy said: “We are closely monitoring all regions, especially those still experiencing drought, and working with the national drought group and water companies to maintain supplies.

“We face increasing pressure on our water resources. That is why this Government is taking decisive action, including the development of nine new reservoirs to help secure long-term water resilience.”