By Jessica Shankleman | Updated on Oct 09, 2026 at 01:10 PM
Yorkshire, in northern England, was declared to be in drought on Friday despite recent rainfall.
It’s the latest sign that the UK’s hottest summer on record is continuing to reverberate even as winter approaches. The extreme temperatures, which fueled wildfires and damaged crops, exposed a water system already struggling with leaks and outages as demand surged. Yorkshire Water, however, unlike many suppliers, doesn’t currently have restrictions on water use.
The Environment Agency cited low reservoir levels and river flows following prolonged dry weather through the spring and summer for the move. It means that all of England, except for the North East and North West, are now officially in drought.
“The recent rainfall is not yet enough to replenish all the water we’ve used over the spring and summer, and the Yorkshire drought declaration highlights the situation is still serious,” Water Minister Emma Hardy said.
The EA has said England needs about a fifth more rainfall than normal over several months for every area to recover, meaning some areas are likely to still be in drought next spring.
Read More: England’s Drought Risks Stretching Into 2027 Despite Recent Rain