Drought declared across half of England and all of Wales
Drought has been declared across more than half of England and all of Wales, with heat health alerts and wildfire risks in effect.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Drought has been declared across more than half of England and all of Wales, as the country continues to experience prolonged dry weather. The announcement comes alongside yellow heat health alerts for large parts of England, including the Midlands, the South East and the South West, which are in effect until Wednesday. These alerts signal a risk to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, and there could be a significant impact on health and social care services.
Wildfires are still burning in Suffolk, with the RSPB warning that it could take up to a decade for habitats to recover. The charity said that birds such as the nightjar and the Dartford warbler may not be able to nest in the affected areas for years. More than three days after the fire started on Dunwich Heath, pockets of fire continue to burn.
The National Farmers Union has warned that food prices could rise as the warmer weather takes its toll on farming. Farmers have had to harvest early, and livestock farmers are using winter feed to feed animals because there is no grass in the fields. The NFU said that water security is a critical part of food security, and that food security is national security.
The drought declaration covers more than half of England and all of Wales, and comes as firefighters continue to battle blazes across the country. The situation is being closely monitored, with officials urging the public to support vulnerable friends and family and to take care outdoors while the risk of wildfire remains.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven regions in England are in official drought conditions. | · | · | |||||
| Thames Water customers will face hosepipe restrictions from Thursday. | · | · | · | ||||
| Crop yields were about a third lower than normal, and a third loss of the wheat crop in southern England and Wales would mean a 350 million pound shortfall in agricultural income. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Customers breaking a hosepipe ban face a maximum fine of £1,000. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Parts of England experienced a two-week dry spell, the longest unbroken period without rain since the mid-1990s. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Wisley in Surrey recorded 50 consecutive days without rain, breaking the previous record of 36 days set in 1976. | · | · | · | · | |||
| NFU president Tom Bradshaw warned of food shortages if drought continues. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Parts of the UK are expected to experience another heatwave next week. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Reservoirs are about 7% lower than normal for this time of year. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The head of the National Farmers Union warned that food prices could rise due to the warm weather. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| A farmer said the last dam built in the Elan Valley was in 1953 and more strategic water storage is needed. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A major incident was declared in Suffolk after a large wildfire broke out on heathland. | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focuses on the domestic impact of the drought, including the declaration, heat health alerts, wildfires, and the NFU's warning about food prices. It also includes international news items (Indonesia ferry fire, Greece wildfire) but these are separate stories. The tone is factual and concerned, highlighting risks to health, farming, and wildlife.
- “Drought has been declared across more than half of England and all of Wales.”
- “Our combinable crop farmers producing wheat for flour and biscuits and oats for breakfast cereals have had a very challenging harvest and our livestock farmers are now using their winter feed to feed their animals through the summer months because they've got absolutely no grass in the field so they're very worried about what happens over the next six weeks in the next six months.”
- “The RSPB have said it could take up to a decade for the dunnies to recover which means that birds like nyjar, darkford warbler and other species will not be able to nest.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.