Farmers are warning the next 10 days are crucial for the harvest – and British supermarkets’ ability to stock key food later this year – as the UK teeters on the edge of drought
Farmers are warning the next 10 days are crucial to prevent food shortages later in the year.
Extreme hot weather has baked Britain dry this summer and seriously affected crops, agricultural experts say. The UK has had just 3 per cent of its typical July rainfall in 2026 — but the south and east of England have had no rainfall at all this month.
Now, farmers are particularly worried about this year’s harvest, telling The Independent the weather in the next 10 days will be crucial in determining if there are food shortages later in the year.
A National Farmers Union (NFU) spokesperson said: “Some areas haven’t harvested yet so what happens over the next week to 10 days could have an impact. We’re asking the Environment Agency to be flexible when it comes to abstraction.”
Dry weather means only 13pc of Britain’s rivers are at their expected levels. In East Anglia, water levels are so low farmers have had to stop taking water from rivers to grow crops.
It is shaping up to be a difficult harvest, Paul Tompkins, NFU deputy president, said: “Parts of the country, particularly in the east and south, have seen exceptionally low rainfall, creating real challenges for farm businesses.
“For many arable farmers, this could be another difficult and expensive harvest after extreme weather in both 2024 and 2025 which saw both drought and flood.”
The National Drought Group says ‘prolonged dry weather’, the stage before drought, has been declared in eight regions. They are East Anglia, West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire & London, Wessex, Thames, Solent & the South Downs.
A hosepipe ban will come into effect for millions of Brits later this week, with customers supplied by Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water and South West Water all told to curb their water usage, which surges by 30pc on hot days.
The extreme weather also means combine harvesters are at greater risk of catching fire during harvest season, potentially further exacerbating food shortages as crops burn.
Fires have scorched the UK this summer as it experienced three heatwaves, with a high of 37C recorded in Norfolk in late June.
Weather maps show that temperatures are set to rise again next week, with high of up to 37C.
The Met Office has issued its long range weather forecast for August, offering insight as to whether another heatwave will grip the UK.
According to the agency, temperatures during the period of 4 to 18 August “will very likely remain above normal, with potential for further hot spells, particularly in the south.”
The government has recorded 53 wildfires at Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), including the long-running moorland blaze at Dovestone and Tintwistle in the Peak District.
Rain is forecast this weekend, but it is only expected to hit the north west of England and Scotland, which have been the wettest parts of the country this summer. The north west has only had 9pc of its expected precipitation.
It is not expected to rain this weekend in the driest parts of the UK, fuelling fears of ‘flash drought’, where drought rapidly develops, could spread across the country.
Flash drought happened in 2022, when crops failed and food prices rose subsequently.