You can put away your plastic water bottles and turn on the hosepipes –the East Midlands is finally out of a drought apparently – after 146 days.
The Environment Agency has announced the news nearly five months after the driest spring for 132 years and the hottest summer since records began in 1884 led to the drought declaration in mid-July.
In a letter written by the Environment Agency says: “We are pleased to announce that as of December 8, 2025, the East Midlands Area is no longer in drought and is entering our recovery phase.”
It comes after the wettest November in the East Midlands since 1871, and Storm Bram, the second named storm of the season, currently wreaking havoc across the country and leading to power outages and cancellations of flights and ferries.
Nottinghamshire MP and environment enthusiast James Naish said: “I know I’m not the only one who spends an abnormal amount of time looking at reservoir and river levels (Not us – Ed).
“The good news is that all the rain we’ve experienced over the past few weeks has had a positive impact on water levels.
“Slow and steady rain over the rest of winter would now be ideal, thank you.”
The East Midlands saw 218% – more than double – its expected rainfall in November, compared to a 149% national average.
But Helen Wakeham – director of water at the Environment Agency, says the country is ‘not out of the woods yet’.
She said: “The recent rain has helped some of our depleted rivers and reservoirs, but the spring was exceptionally dry and the summer very hot. Therefore, I would urge people to carry on using water as efficiently as possible – particularly while our environment recovers from the impacts of the recent drought.
“We are using the latest science to understand drought and to help us prepare for what still could be a difficult 2026. In the meantime, we expect water companies to carry on quickly fixing burst pipes and leaks throughout the winter, and to continue to follow their drought plans.”
Drought is only over when river, groundwater and reservoir levels are back to normal.
The “recovery phase” is when water levels are returning to normal, but water companies must maintain efficiency measures until resources are back to average levels for the time of year.
