Half of England and All of Wales Declared in Drought; 40% of England Under Hosepipe Bans

Half of England and all of Wales were officially declared in drought in the week before 3 August 2026, following the driest July since records began in 1836. England received just 6.5mm of rainfall — 10% of its long-term average. Approximately 40% of England's population now faces hosepipe bans, exceeding the geographic scale of restrictions seen during the 2022 drought.