UK weather: Drought declared in Yorkshire amid low water levels in reservoirs and rivers

Drought has been declared in Yorkshire due to a lack of spring and summer rainfall, the Environment Agency has said.

There are low water levels in reservoirs and rivers in many parts of the region despite recent rainfall, the agency added.

"Prolonged dry weather" status for the area was declared at the end of July which has now been upgraded to "drought".

It joins all of central, southern and eastern England in drought status, while the North East and North West remain in prolonged dry weather.

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The agency's announcement follows an unusually dry September, with the lack of rainfall into the autumn months causing the flow in rivers and groundwater levels to reach very low levels in parts of Yorkshire.

Area environment manager Vicki Townend said the region has had the fifth driest April to September on record.

She said: "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.

"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."

The agency will closely monitor the situation while implementing Yorkshire's drought plan, she added.

This summer has been declared the hottest in the UK since records began in 1884, according to provisional statistics.

The average temperature in June, July and August, throughout the day and night, was 16.5C, beating the previous seasonal high of 16.1C set last year, the Met Office said.

The UK experienced five heatwaves as well as long spells of no rainfall in some areas, while autumn rain has been insufficient to offset many of the impacts.

The Environment Agency said: "Our climate is changing and the current drought now means there have been three in the past five years - 2022, 2025 and now 2026.

"As a result of climate change, we are experiencing longer hotter summers and more intense rainfall in winters, leading to an increased likelihood of drought and flooding events."

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Members of the public are encouraged to be aware of the impacts of drought and use a little less water.

Water minister Emma Hardy said: "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.

"Long-term resilience against our changing climate is a priority for this government."

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