Drought has been declared in the West Midlands
The National Drought Group says the dry weather is continuing to impact water resources across the country
Last updated 15th Jul 2025
The West Midlands have been put into drought status after the National Drought Group (NDG) met on Tuesday morning.
Since the group of officials and experts last met on June 5th, the situation has deteriorated further, the Environment Agency said.
The NDG heard that without further substantial rain, some water companies may need to implement further drought measures.
These would be likely to include more temporary use bans (TUBs) - also known as hosepipe bans.
The Environment Agency said it expects and will ensure water companies follow their drought management plans as well as step up work to fix leaks.
The public are also being urged to use water wisely across England and comply with any local restrictions as the dry weather continues to impact water resources nationwide.
Parts of the East Midlands are also now officially in drought and recently three more areas moved into prolonged dry weather status (Lincs and Northants, East Anglia, and Thames area).
Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency Director for Water and National Drought Group chair, said:
“This has been the driest start to the year since 1976, and we need to make sure our water supplies can sustain us through the summer.
“Today I have asked all the partners who make up the national drought group to step up their operational response to manage the drought and use water wisely. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground actively monitoring river levels and working to ensure there is enough water for the people and the environment.”
Water Minister Emma Hardy said:
“I have asked the National Drought Group to step up its response to ensure we are successfully managing the impacts of ongoing dry weather. Water companies must now take action to follow their drought plans - I will hold them to account if they delay.
“We face a growing water shortage in the next decade. That’s why we are pushing ahead with urgent water reforms under our Plan for Change, which includes £104 billion of private investment to build nine reservoirs and new pipes to cut leaks.”
Dr Will Lang, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said:
“Although some areas saw rainfall at the start of July, for many the month so far has been fairly dry, continuing a pattern seen through spring and June. We’ve now recorded our third heatwave of the summer and following a period of fresher, more unsettled conditions it's likely to turn warmer and more humid again across many parts of England later this week. There's also the possibility of heavy, thundery showers for some places too.
“It does look as though we’ll see typical changeable weather during the latter third of July and into early August with a mix of rain, showers. Confidence in details inevitably gets lower, the further ahead we look, but this would be consistent with our seasonal expectations.”
The National Drought Group – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers, CRT, angling groups and conservation experts. With further warm, dry weather expected, the NDG will continue to meet regularly to coordinate the national response and safeguard water supplies for people, agriculture, and the environment.