England and Wales are experiencing serious drought conditions after England recorded its driest July since records began, with half of England and all of Wales officially affected. The article says the risk is not that water will disappear entirely, but that prolonged heat, low rainfall and weak storage infrastructure can strain rivers, reservoirs, groundwater, ecosystems and supplies to homes and businesses.

England received only 7% of its long-term average July rainfall, while the drought follows another severe event in 2022. Winter rain can replenish supplies, but hotter, drier summers increase demand; no UK reservoir has been built since 1992, and water companies reportedly lose 2.87bn litres daily through leaks. Water is also heavily used by agriculture, power generation, manufacturing, fish farms and golf courses.