Drought Covers Half of England and All of Wales; 40% of England Faces Hosepipe Bans

Half of England and all of Wales entered official drought before 3 August 2026, after the driest July since records began in 1836. England saw just 6.5mm of rain — 10% of its long-term average. Roughly 40% of England's population now faces hosepipe bans, surpassing the scale of restrictions during the 2022 drought.