Wet weather has returned to the UK — but hosepipe bans are far from over

Much of the UK is still in drought (Picture: Shutterstock / Paul Maguire) Recent downpours across the UK may feel like autumn has finally arrived — but Britain is still feeling the effects of a record-breaking summer. Despite the rain, almost three-quarters of England remains in active drought, the most severe since 1976. It means that gardeners need to step away from those hosepipes, as the Environment Agency warns the bans could remain in place until early next year. Drought is only over when rivers, groundwaters and reservoirs are back to normal levels, which has yet to happen. ‘The drought situation remains very serious, and we cannot underestimate the challenge ahead over the coming months,’ said Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy. ‘A few weeks of rain cannot reverse the deficit we face from the very dry spring and summer. We still need everyone to use a little less water to speed up the drought recovery.’ The summer heatwave has left sun-scorched grass (Picture: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images) Ready to start your homebuying journey? You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from: – Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker – Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week – Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice. Find out how much you could borrow online Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Why rain hasn’t ended the drought A prolonged dry period — including a spring that saw just 56% of typical rainfall and the driest July and joint-hottest August on record — left groundwaters and reservoirs critically depleted. This saw a 30% increase in water demand on the hottest days, and only 65% of expected summer rainfall. The low rainfall and dry weather, meant a difficult harvest for farmers, and impacted fish stocks, bird populations and wider ecosystems. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Now, the Met Office is forecasting the second half of September will see a return to drier conditions, particularly in the south where the rain is needed the most. England requires 120% of its typical rainfall over the next seven months for all regions to be fully declared out of drought, according to the National Drought Group and Environmental Agency (EA). Water minister Emma Hardy said yesterday, September 16, ‘The recent rainfall is not yet enough to replenish all the water we’ve used over the last six months.’ She contnued: ‘Long-term resilience is a priority for this government, and we are working with water companies and regulators on nine major reservoirs to secure future supplies.’ Droughts across the UK could last for months (Picture: HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images) How long will restrictions last? Suppliers across affected regions have confirmed restrictions will not end anytime soon. Anglian Water, which serves seven million customers across the East of England, noted its ban introduced in July could easily stretch into the winter. ‘I can’t give you a date, but it’s going to be well into the autumn, maybe even the winter,’ said Grant Tufts, Senior policy and public affairs lead at Anglian Water. ‘We need several more downpours and consistent rain to recharge those supplies.’ When will the drought end? The Met Office has outlined a project timeline: October – November 2026 (early recovery): Cumbria & Lancashire and Greater Manchester, Merseyside & Cheshire could move to recovery in October and return to normal levels by November. Winter 2026 – February 2027 (fragile recovery): Most regions across England and Anglian Water coverage will see a fragile recovery through winter, returning to normal by February. Spring 2027 (extended drought): Areas such as Devon, Cornwall, and East Anglia are projected to remain in active drought through April 2027. Hosepipe bans have covered much of the UK (Picture: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock) The EA have also emphasised there is a one-in-four chance that around half of the country will still be in drought next spring. Autumn rainfall is set to help top up water levels but could lead to flooding in some areas, which is difficult water to store as it arrives so rapidly. Though an El Niño is coming, the Met Office stresses that it ‘is only one of several drivers that influence the UK’s weather, and it does not determine exactly what conditions we will see.’ Meaning that while we will see increased chances of heavy rain and wind, we can’t necessarily associate this with aiding water levels and ending the drought quicker. Government action According to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the government is expanding long-term infrastructure to safeguard future water security. ‘We expect to see leaks fixed quickly, drought plans followed without delay and continued work to reduce demand to help avoid any further restrictions,’ said Water Minister Emma Hardy. Deals of the Day Primark's new £14 co-ord has autumn styling on a budget covered Topman’s new-season collection has arrived and prices start at just £10 An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind From £700 MacBooks to discounted iPhones, the best Apple tech for studentsb Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale Government plans include a £65million package to help farmers and £100million to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to extreme weather and wildfires, plus continued water company work on resilience, including nine new reservoirs by 2050. Do you have a story you’d like to share? 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