What England’s driest July in 190 years means for your food shop
Key Points
- England recorded its driest July in 190 years, with just 10% of expected rainfall
- Farmers have brought in their earliest harvests in 20 years, with reduced yields
- Livestock farmers are already using winter feed, and milk volumes are expected to fall
- Growers face 1,534 irrigation restrictions in East Anglia, with some abstraction cut by half
- The Met Office expects below-average rainfall into September
Farmers have reported their earliest harvests in 20 years, with reduced yields, after England recorded its driest July in 190 years.
Livestock farmers have started feeding winter forage stocks earlier than normal because grass has stopped growing.
The National Drought Group expects the lack of adequate feed to result in decreased milk volumes. Fruit and vegetable growers are working to keep crops watered, but many are struggling to access the water they need.
Irrigation restrictions on farmers are increasing, with 1,534 now in place in East Anglia. Some 302 abstractors in the region are in the process of having to cut what they take from rivers by 50% to protect the environment during exceptionally low flows.
A further 14 abstractors in the Wensum catchment in Norfolk have had to stop entirely.
“With no meaningful rain forecast in the coming weeks, the situation facing farmers and growers is increasingly concerning,” said Paul Tompkins, Deputy President of the National Farmers Union.
The NFU has called for a risk register for vulnerable businesses and a more responsive abstraction licensing system, along with a consistent planning approach to reservoirs, further rounds of the Water Management Grant and targeted investment in climate adaptation.
“Water plays a crucial role in food security and the resilience of our nation,” said Tompkins.
Rainfall totals for July ranged from 1% of the expected average in south-east England to 26% in north-west England. Parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex have gone 59 days without a rain day. August has delivered 5% of expected rainfall to date, following 10% in July and 38% in April.
Reservoir levels across England have dropped to 69%, some 11.6% below the seasonal norm, after a 16% fall during July. Only 14% of river flows are at normal levels.
The Government is actively considering ways to give more support to the farming sector and is working to make it easier for farmers to build on-site irrigation reservoirs.
“We know how challenging this summer has been, especially for our hard-working farmers who are at the sharp end of climate change and an increasing number of floods and droughts,” said Emma Hardy, Water Minister.
The Environment Agency is working with the NFU in East Anglia to make sure abstractors understand the current water resources position, and is carrying out more compliance checks on businesses to ensure water is used fairly.
It is releasing water from strategic reservoirs at the top of the River Severn and from groundwaters in Shropshire to support abstractors, navigation and the environment.
England is on its third drought in five years, after 2022 and 2025. Mainland Europe is also contending with heatwaves and dry weather, with extremely low levels on the Rhine and the Danube disrupting freight and river transport.
The Met Office expects a good deal of dry weather through the rest of August and into September, with below-average rainfall more likely than above-average for the period as a whole.
