Drought continues in Ealing, Northolt, Greenford and Southall

Drought continues to grip Ealing, Northolt, Greenford and Southall
Section: Environment and cleanliness
The summer of 2026 will go down in history as one of the driest and hottest in decades across southern and central England. The Environment Agency officially declared drought across London, the Thames Valley and surrounding regions at the end of July. The situation is not improving - on the contrary.

From July 23, 2026, a Temporary Use Ban (commonly known as the hosepipe ban) applies to all Thames Water customers, who make up the majority of residents in Ealing, Northolt, Greenford and Southall. The ban includes watering lawns and gardens with a hose or sprinkler, washing cars, filling swimming pools and paddling pools, and cleaning driveways, terraces, paths and windows with a pressure washer. Watering cans, buckets and rainwater collection remain permitted. Breaching the regulations can result in a fine of up to £1,000.

July brought extremely low rainfall - in southern England only about 1% of normal, in the whole country about 7%. Temperatures repeatedly exceeded 34°C, and the number of hot days broke records from 1976 and 2020. The effects are visible to the naked eye: parks and lawns have mostly turned yellow or dried, water levels in rivers and reservoirs have dropped, and the risk of grass and heath fires has significantly increased. The authorities and water companies appeal to save water on a daily basis - take shorter showers, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, collect rainwater and limit watering, even with a watering can.

Forecasts for the coming days and weeks do not promise a breakthrough. More heatwaves are expected, and there is still no heavier rain. The National Drought Group continues to monitor the situation and does not rule out expanding drought zones. Restrictions remain in force "until further notice" - it all depends on when enough rainfall finally falls for water resources to start rebuilding.

In practice, this means that residents of our area must switch to economical water management for a longer period of time. Even small changes to daily habits now make a real difference to maintaining supplies.