Parts of southern, central, and eastern England are now close to drought conditions, according to the National Drought Group.Regions such as East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, and London are experiencing prolonged dry weather, with over 20 million people under hosepipe bans by the end of the week.

The Met Office highlights that droughts develop gradually and can last weeks or years, exacerbated by high temperatures and human activities like deforestation.Agriculture faces significant challenges, with farmers harvesting early and warnings of reduced cereal yields.Water companies are investing in new reservoirs and exploring desalination to meet rising demand.River levels and groundwater reserves are critically low, with 87% of catchments at below-normal levels.Climate change is expected to intensify future drought risks, with summers potentially becoming 60% drier by 2070.Despite recent rainfall in autumn and winter, the UK remains vulnerable to flash droughts due to abrupt weather shifts.