England could face drought conditions this summer after the driest start to spring in almost 70 years, the Environment Agency has said. There is a “medium risk” of summer drought with reservoirs at 84% full, the Environment Agency(EA) said on Wednesday.
Reservoirs in the country are dropping and farmers are struggling to grow crops after the sunniest April on record, preceded by less than half the average rainfall in March. In a statement, the Environment Agency (EA) said: “If the prolonged dry weather continues, water companies may need to implement their dry weather plans in the weeks and months ahead”.
The environmental regulator convened a meeting of the National Drought Group and said more needed to be done to cut leakage and help customers use water more wisely.
In England, March was the driest since 1961 and April received just half its normal rainfall. Farmers have had to start irrigating crops earlier and reservoir levels are either notably low or exceptionally low across the North East and North West of England. Both these regions have seen their driest start to the year since 1929.
Richard Thompson, the EA’s deputy director of water, added: “The changing climate means we will see more summer droughts in the coming decades.
“The last two years were some of the wettest on record for England but drier conditions at the start of this year mean a drought is a possibility and we need to be prepared.
“It’s heartening to see more people looking to reduce their water use and we expect water companies to do more to cut leakage and rollout smart meters.”
Representatives from the EA told the meeting yesterday (WED) – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers and conservation experts – that while no area is currently officially in drought there is a medium risk of one this summer without sustained rainfall.
Alastair Chisholm, policy director at the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, said: “People think of drought as a southern European problem, but it seems to be hitting the UK more quickly nowadays, and we need to be ready.
“The system we had in 2022 was too slow to respond; by the time action was taken, damage was already done. We need to stop treating drought management like an emergency failure. It’s a planned response, and it’s time government and water companies clearly explain to the public why early action is essential.”
Water Minister Emma Hardy called on water firms to “go further and faster to cut leaks and build the infrastructure needed to secure our water supply”.
The warning to suppliers comes after England’s driest start to spring in March and April since 1956.
April was the sunniest on record, as just 56% of the expected rainfall was recorded across the UK as a whole, and just half the average rainfall for England, Met Office figures showed.
That followed less than half (43%) of the average rainfall across the UK in March, with England getting a quarter of the rain it would normally expect for the month.