The Environment Agency has changed the status of parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to prolonged dry weather
The Environment Agency is moving parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight into a state of prolonged dry weather after England's warmest spring on record.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight rely on the River Test for its water supply. A state of prolonged dry weather means the Environment Agency is positioned to consider any requests about water usage while protecting this rare, sensitive, chalk stream and the environment that relies on it.
Moving to prolonged dry weather status on Friday 10 July also means the Environment Agency is best placed to react to any incidents in the environment cause by hot temperatures and impact on the water.
Richard O'Callaghan, Environment Planning & Engagement manager at the Environment Agency said:
The changing climate has seen a whiplash from an exceptionally wet start of the year to prolonged dry weather.
The pressures on the environment will become heavier. The Environment Agency is positioning itself to get ahead of that.
We are ready to tackle any incidents during this time and make sure that the needs of the environment are balanced against demands for more water from our most sensitive waterways.
The dry spring, early summer and high temperatures in 2025 affected water resources and the environment in Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Sussex. This led to the Environment Agency declaring a situation of prolonged dry weather on 10 July, lasting six months.
The National Drought Group - which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, the National Farmers' Union, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts - is monitoring the situation and will next meet on 20 July.
As regulator, the Environment Agency will decide any drought permit requests. However, Defra and the Secretary of State will decide on any applications for drought orders with the Environment Agency giving technical advice assessing the needs of people and the environment.
The Environment Agency supports the Water Efficiency Campaign which launched this month: Let's Save Water . This is a campaign which our science and evidence helped make it possible.
There are simple ways people can help save water, including low-flow showerheads, running washing machines with the recommended load and not pre-rinsing dishes.
Background
For the Environment Agency's Solent and South Downs operational area, the monthly rainfall figures and their long-term average for 2026 were:
January: 186mm (193%)
February: 143mm (212%)
March: 33mm (58%)
April: 9.4mm (17%)
May: 32mm (63%)
