LONDON, July 10 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
The Environment Agency is moving parts ofHampshireand the Isle of Wightintoastate of prolonged dry weatherafter England's warmest spring on record.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight rely on the River Test for its water supply.Astate of prolonged dry weather means the Environment Agency is positioned toconsider any requests about water usage while protecting this rare, sensitive, chalk stream and the environment that relies on it.
Moving toprolonged dry weatherstatuson Friday 10 Julyalsomeans the Environment Agencyis best placed to react to any incidents in the environment cause by hot temperaturesand impact on the water.
Richard O'Callaghan,Environment Planning & Engagementmanagerat the Environment Agencysaid:
The changing climate has seenawhiplashfrom an exceptionally wet startofthe year to prolonged dry weather.
The pressures on the environment will become heavier. The Environment Agency is positioning itself to get ahead of that.
We are ready to tackleanyincidents during this time andmake sure that the needs of the environmentarebalancedagainst demands for more water from our most sensitive waterways.
The dry spring, earlysummerandhigh temperaturesin2025affectedwater resources and the environment in Hampshire, Isle ofWightand Sussex. This led to the Environment Agency declaring a situation of prolonged dry weather on 10July, lasting six months.
The National Drought Group - which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, the National Farmers' Union, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts -ismonitoringthe situation and will next meet on20July.
As regulator, the Environment Agency willdecideany drought permit requests. However, Defra and the Secretary of State will decide on any applications for drought orders with the Environment Agencygivingtechnical advice assessing the needs of people and the environment.
The Environment Agency supports the Water Efficiency Campaign which launched this month: Let's Save Water. This is acampaignwhich our science and evidence helpedmake itpossible.
There are simple ways people can help save water, includinglow-flow showerheads,running washing machines with the recommended load and not pre-rinsing dishes.
Background
For the Environment Agency's Solent and South Downs operational area, the monthly rainfallfiguresand their long-term average for 2026 were:
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January:186mm (193%)
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February:143mm (212%)
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March:33mm (58%)
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April:9.4mm (17%)
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May:32mm (63%)
Read more about drought here:What is drought?
You can keep uptodate with the latest situation with ourDry weather and drought in England: summary reportsandhow we manage drought in England.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
