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It's Official: Warning to Save Water as Drought Declared in West Midlands
- On Wednesday, the Environment Agency declared a drought across half of England, affecting seven regions including the West Midlands, London, and East Anglia after record-low rainfall and extreme heat created what officials call a 'flash drought'.
- A dramatic weather reversal from wet winter to exceptionally hot summer created the crisis, with July seeing just 7% of expected precipitation and temperatures exceeding 30C for 12 consecutive days across three heatwaves.
- Rivers running low have forced farmers to harvest crops early and prompted fish rescue operations on Shropshire's River Teme and River Onny, while the River Severn provides drinking water for 6 million people.
- During Tuesday's briefing, Water Minister Emma Hardy stated droughts are becoming 'increasingly common' and committed to nine new reservoirs as part of long-term infrastructure investment.
- This marks the third drought in five years—2022, 2025, and 2026—with Met Office Chief Meteorologist Will Lang indicating 'little sign of widespread, sustained rainfall' in early August, though current reserves should sustain the coming months.
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More than half of England 'officially in drought': UK govt
It follows what is set to be the driest July on record, with just seven percent of expected rainfall nationwide and some parts of southern England seeing just one percent, according to the government's Environment Agency. The UK is also currently experiencing its fourth widespread heatwave of 2026. Describing it as a "flash drought" -- which develops quickly and is caused by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures -- it was t…
·Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
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Telegraph & Argus+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Parts of the UK declared to be suffering from a 'flash drought'
Parts of the UK are experiencing a 'flash drought', as it enters its fourth heatwave following a dry May and June.
·Bradford, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources26
Leaning Left1Leaning Right2Center21Last UpdatedBias Distribution88% Center
Bias Distribution
- 88% of the sources are Center
88% Center
C 88%
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