Drought declared in Yorkshire as Government issues urgent plea

Drought declared in Yorkshire as Government issues urgent plea Drought has been declared in Yorkshire due to a lack of spring and summer rainfall Drought has been declared in Yorkshire following a lack of rainfall during the spring and summer. The Environment Agency said water levels are low in reservoirs and rivers in many parts of Yorkshire. The region joins all of central, southern and eastern England in drought status, while the North East and North West remain in prolonged dry weather. The agency warned that climate change will make extreme weather, including drier summers, more frequent and urged people to "use a little less water to speed up the recovery from drought". Vicki Townend, the agency's environment manager for Yorkshire, said the region had experienced its fifth-driest April to September period on record. "This ongoing lack of rainfall means the flow in rivers and groundwater levels in certain parts of our area are very low and have now reached our trigger for declaring a drought," she said. "Even if we receive a few weeks of rain, we cannot quickly reverse the effects of the lack of rainfall during a very dry spring and summer. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement our Yorkshire Drought Plan." She added: "As we see more impacts from climate change, heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. "We encourage people to be aware of the impacts of drought and use a little less water to speed up the recovery from drought." The agency said in a press release that the Government is continuing to scrutinise water company actions and ensure they are adhering to their statutory drought plans to conserve supplies and support communities. Water Minister Emma Hardy said said the Government is "carefully monitoring the actions of all water companies" and that it "expects them to follow their drought plans, quickly fix leaks and reduce demand". "Long-term resilience against our changing climate is a priority for this government. Our strengthened Water Bill will start a decade-long journey to a very different water system, including nine new major reservoirs to secure supplies.," she added. The National Drought Group, which includes the government, Met Office, regulators, water companies, farmers, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts, is meeting weekly to monitor the situation and coordinate action as part of the heightened incident response. The UK has experienced three droughts in the past five years - 2022, 2025 and now 2026 - as a result of the climate crisis. The changing climate is driving longer hotter summers and more intense rainfall in winters, leading to an increased likelihood of drought and flooding.