Wildlife will be affected by current drought for years to come, UK government says
Dried ground near the traditional source of the River Thames, known as Thames Head, a group of seasonal springs near to the village of Coates in the Cotswolds, pictured on 14 August. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PAView image in fullscreenDried ground near the traditional source of the River Thames, known as Thames Head, a group of seasonal springs near to the village of Coates in the Cotswolds, pictured on 14 August. “The speed of drought recovery depends both on rainfall and demand for water.”So far this year, 349 environmental incidents have been recorded, exceeding the 321 recorded in 2025.
- ▪Dried ground near the traditional source of the River Thames, known as Thames Head, a group of seasonal springs near to the village of Coates in the Cotswolds, pictured on 14 August.
- ▪Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PAView image in fullscreenDried ground near the traditional source of the River Thames, known as Thames Head, a group of seasonal springs near to the village of Coates in the Cotswolds, pictured on 14 August.
- ▪“The speed of drought recovery depends both on rainfall and demand for water.”So far this year, 349 environmental incidents have been recorded, exceeding the 321 recorded in 2025.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/21/wildlife-drought-uk-environmental-incidents |
| Publication time | Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:52:27 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-21T16:58:49.009Z |
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Dried ground near the traditional source of the River Thames, known as Thames Head, a group of seasonal springs near to the village of Coates in the Cotswolds, pictured on 14 August. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PAView image in fullscreenDried ground near the traditional source of the River Thames, known as Thames Head, a group of seasonal springs near to the village of Coates in the Cotswolds, pictured on 14 August. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PADroughtWildlife will be affected by current drought for years to come, UK government saysThe number of potentially damaging environmental incidents triggered by this year’s hot and dry weather has surpassed that of 2025Pippa Neill Environment reporterMon 21 Sep 2026 12.52 EDTLast modified on Mon 21 Sep 2026 12.53 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on…
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