UK heatwave deepens as water firm seeks pool ban and fires mount across England
A water company in southern England is pressing for a rare drought order that would bar the filling of non-domestic swimming pools, as the UK
A water company in southern England is pressing for a rare drought order that would bar the filling of non-domestic swimming pools, as the UK braces for temperatures of up to 37C and a fresh round of heat alerts. The move lands in a week when wildfire counts have already matched last year’s record and officials are warning the water picture is getting worse fast.
The prime minister is due to chair an emergency Cobra meeting later on Wednesday, with the whole of England under an amber extreme heat warning. The pressure is spreading beyond the thermometer. Southern Water wants the pool ban as consecutive heatwaves and dry ground leave reservoirs and rivers under strain.
Record wildfire levels
The National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales so far in 2026, matching last year’s record total. NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan said the number alone does not show the scale, length and complexity of the fires, or the toll on communities, the environment and fire services.
On Tuesday, a firefighter union chief warned the country faces a “national emergency” because of the fires. A Suffolk wildfire was still burning, adding to the sense of a long, hot summer that has already pushed emergency crews hard.
Water supplies under strain
The government said almost three-quarters of England, or 71.3%, is now in drought after a record dry July and a dry start to August. The National Drought Group warned every region is under pressure, with impacts on agriculture, public supplies, navigation and the environment.
East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs moved into drought status on Wednesday, joining areas already facing severe pressure. Other parts, including East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Hertfordshire and London, remain in prolonged dry weather — the stage before drought.
Met Office figures show July was the driest on record for England, with just 10% of the long-term average rainfall. The official dry-weather report for 31 July to 6 August said England had its seventh straight week with less than 10mm of rain, and east and south-east England received less than 1mm.
More restrictions likely
Water companies have already tightened use across large parts of the country. Thames Water’s hosepipe ban will affect all its customers from Thursday, adding 10.1 million people to restrictions. That means more than 20 million people will be living under hosepipe bans by the end of the week.
Greenpeace UK has argued water firms are still losing around 2.87 billion litres a day through leaking pipes, far more than a nationwide hosepipe ban could save. Against that backdrop, the push to stop pools being filled is likely to sharpen debate over who should shoulder the burden as the heat holds and rain stays away.
