Four months of above average rainfall mean England’s water levels have now largely recovered from last year’s drought, the National Drought Group has heard.
East Anglia has become the final area to move out of recovery, with all regions in England now classed at normal status.
The expert group noted that while this is positive for water supplies, exceptional levels of rain have caused devastating flooding in many communities.
The changing climate means we will likely experience more rapid swings between drought and flooding – sometimes referred to as weather whiplash.
The risk of drought in 2026 is currently low but there remains the possibility of a flash drought – brought about by a sudden combination of very low rainfall and hot temperatures, like we experienced in 2022.
National Drought Group chair and Director of Water at the Environment Agency, Helen Wakeham, said: “Last year’s drought was challenging for everyone, affecting our farmers, our wildlife, and our public water supplies.
“The winter rainfall has helped our depleted reservoirs and rivers to recover and, while we welcome the improved picture, we are mindful of the problems that flooding brings too.
“We enter spring in a favourable position, but we can never be complacent. We expect water companies to carry on quickly fixing burst pipes and to be ready to enact their drought plans in a timely manner, if needed.”
The meeting heard that water companies are finalising their statutory drought plans, which are produced every five years and detail how public supplies and the environment will be protected during dry weather.
Alongside this, the Government recently gave additional guidance to water companies for beefing up their contingency plans should a region enter severe drought – last experienced in England half a century ago in 1976. Measures could include daily limits, reduced water pressure, or business restrictions to ensure the taps remain on.
After attending the National Drought Group meeting, Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “Despite our recent wet weather, we must still talk about drought. Our climate is changing, droughts are becoming increasingly common, and we need to be prepared.
“We expect water companies to update their draft statutory drought plans by the end of March and plan for more extreme dry weather – in the hope it never comes.
“In the longer-term, the Government is taking decisive action to secure supplies, including nine new reservoirs, multiple water transfer schemes, and eight desalination projects.”
Current water situation:
- February received 170% of the long-term average (LTA) rainfall. March to date rainfall is 53% of the long-term average for the month
- Reservoir storage for England is now 95% which is slightly above average for this time of year.
- Abberton and Hanningfield reservoirs in Essex, Grafham reservoir in Cambridgeshire and the Dove Group in Derbyshire are still below average for this time of year.
- Soils are now fully replenished across the country, with no deficits remaining.
- Groundwater and river flows are now normal or above across England. See more here: Water situation reports for England - GOV.UK
- All areas are out of drought and there are no water company restrictions in place.
It is a mixed picture across England, however. The south-west recorded the second highest December to February winter rainfall since records began in 1871, which has caused widespread flooding.
In contrast, despite a wet start to the year, East Anglia’s river flows and groundwater levels have been slower to recover from last year’s drought. This meant delays for some farmers in refilling their on-site reservoirs ahead of the irrigation season.
To ensure resilience to more extreme weather, the Government announced last week more than 600 projects that will be funded as part of a £10.5billion flood defence programme.
The Floods Resilience Taskforce also recently met in Manchester to assess the impact of recent winter storms and to accelerate action to protect communities.
Meanwhile, National Drought Group members also spent the winter preparing for the spring and summer ahead.
As we now enter spring, the weather is forecast to be mostly dry for the rest of March. The Met Office forecast indicates that conditions will be drier than average for the rest of March albeit with the usual regional variations.
Head of Environment and Energy at the Met Office, Sarah Davies, said: “High pressure is expected to dominate across the UK through to the end of March, keeping conditions mostly fine and dry with limited rainfall, and temperatures near or slightly above average.
“As we head into early April, there are some early signs the weather could become more changeable, however, there is still no strong indication at this time of a shift towards significantly wetter conditions.
“We continue to work closely with the Environment Agency and other partners to monitor conditions and support preparedness efforts as we move through spring.”
The 50‑year anniversary of the 1976 drought will also be marked this summer through sector‑wide events reflecting on lessons learned and future resilience.
