Farmers warned to prepare for drought in 2026

The expert group – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, the National Farmers’ Union, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts – met in central London last week. 

They heard during an Environment Agency presentation that England needs at least 100% of average rainfall (482mm) to largely recover from drought by the end of March next year. Only two months of 2025 have seen more than 100% so far. 

The National Drought Group expressed concerns about the country’s water resources because of this year’s record dry spring and warm summer. 

National Drought Group’s chair Helen Wakeham said: “The recent rain is very welcome, but it needs to be sustained over the next six months to ensure we are ready for next year.     

“We need a lot more rain this winter to fill up our rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater. Even if it is wet outside, I urge people to use water as efficiently as possible to protect the environment and public water supplies.      

“The changing climate means we must prepare for more droughts. Securing our water resources needs to be a national priority. We expect water companies to continue their water-saving messaging, even through the winter, as well as carry on reducing leaks.” 

All sectors – including water companies, agriculture, navigation, and energy – have been urged to take steps now to increase their resilience for a prolonged drought.     

Farmers have been urged to check their licences and speak to the EA if they are likely to need flexibility. They have also been asked to look to increase reservoir storage and work with their neighbours to share water, where possible.    

Meanwhile, the public has been urged to continue to use water wisely, including turning off taps when not in use or fitting a water butt to capture winter rainfall. Everyone has a part to play to help mitigate the impacts of the dry year.   

Meeting findings 

The meeting participants heard, among other things, that September saw 149% of the long-term average rainfall across England, but despite Storm Benjamin, October has seen 77%.   

There has been a regional divide with rainfall. The north-west received 190% in September and the north-east 171%. The south-east received 126% and the east 100%.    

The rain has helped the two areas of Cumbria and Lancashire, and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire both move out of drought status into drought recovery. While this signals an improvement in this area, the position is fragile, and with further dry weather, these areas could move back to drought, the experts said.     

Average reservoir storage is now 63.3% compared to the average for this time of year of 76%. Ardingly, in West Sussex, as well as Clatworthy and Wimbleball, both in Somerset, are below 30%.   

Researchers added that recent rainfall has helped ease pressure on the agricultural sector, but there are concerns heading into winter on feed availability for livestock due to poor grass growth over the spring and summer.   

READ MORE: £1.1m to be invested in on-farm drought risk assessments

The hottest summer on record 

The Met Office declared the summer of 2025 as the hottest since records began in 1884, while the spring was the driest in 132 years.    

Met Office chief meteorologist, Dr Will Lang, said: “This year has been characterised by notable rainfall deficits across much of England. 

“By 28th October, provisional data shows England had only 61% of its expected annual rainfall, when we’d normally have about 80% at this time of the year (based on the 1991–2020 average). While recent rainfall has helped, regional variations remain, and drought conditions continue to affect several areas. 

“Looking ahead, there is an increased risk of dry spells through late autumn and early winter, and regional differences in rainfall continue to be likely. Without sustained and widespread precipitation, a consistent recovery from drought remains uncertain.” 

Mr Lang explained that water is finite and there are competing demands between public use, businesses, agriculture, and the environment.  

“In dry weather, water still needs to be abstracted from rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater, and a drought is only over when these levels are fully replenished. This can take months – sometimes years.”  

The National Drought Group praised the public for following the hosepipe bans, where in place, as this has kept more water in local rivers and lakes.   

The Environment Agency said it continues to work with government, including DEFRA and the Cabinet Office, on the drought response, which is still deemed a “nationally significant incident.”  

Water minister Emma Hardy added: “It’s been encouraging to see the scorched summer lawns returning to green in recent weeks. But we know the prolonged lack of rainfall continues to pose risks to public water supplies, farming, and the environment.     

“We are closely monitoring all regions – especially those still experiencing drought – and working with the National Drought Group and water companies to maintain supplies.”   

READ MORE: Future SFI must learn from drought crisis

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