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UK drought so bad that patches of scorched earth are visible from space

Great Britain and especially England have been hammered by brutal drought conditions, and the proof is in these worrying satelite images of a scorched United Kingdom

[England looks like a desert ]

England looks like a desert (Image: European Union )

Bone-dry Britain's scorched earth is visible from space, shocking new photos show. Satellite images of the UK has revealed the state of the dry conditions after weeks of severe drought.

Footage taken by EU satellite cameras shows huge swathes of yellow and brown across the country, painting a desperate picture of a landscape in desperate need of rain. While much of the country has been struggling, things have been especially bad in the South.

In the photos, London's iconic Hyde Park is seen almost entire scorched. In stark contrast to last year's photo which shows large areas covered in green grass this year's image shows that patches of grass are few and far between.

[London's Hyde Park this year]

London's Hyde Park this year(Image: European Union )

Across the summer, record levels of dryness have led to hosepipe bans, and even worrying government alerts due to the high risk of wildfires.

According to the European Drought Observatory (EDO), 25% of the territory of England was in Alert conditions and 65% in Warning at the end of July 2026.

In total, 71.3% of England is thought now to be in drought in what has been the driest summer since records began in 1836, while 45 million people are currently impacted by the conditions, with nearly 30 million facing strict water use restrictions.

[London's Hyde Park last year, a stark contrast]

London's Hyde Park last year, a stark contrast(Image: European Union )

Warm and dry weather continued across much of England, with many regions receiving less than 1mm of rain. Even the north-west the wettest part of the country saw just 6mm.

England has received only 6% of its average August rainfall so far, leaving rivers, reservoirs and groundwater supplies under mounting pressure.

[drought conditions ]

Have you been impacted by the drought? (Image: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Wire)

Most river monitoring sites are now below normal for the time of year, with 15 classed as exceptionally low. Reservoir storage has plunged to 65.9% nearly 14% below average while five reservoirs are exceptionally low.

Drought status has now been declared across 71% of England, with no part of the country remaining at normal status.

More than 27 million people are facing restrictions on their water use after eight companies introduced hosepipe bans across all or parts of their supply areas.

[ lakes dry up ]

The drought conditions have seen lakes dry up (Image: Jeff Moore/PA Wire)

The worsening crisis is also hitting farmers, with reduced crop yields, poor grass growth and concerns over livestock feed supplies for the winter. More than 1,500 restrictions on water abstraction are now in place.

Low river levels have led to growing restrictions on canals and waterways, while the River Nene has been hit after water was used to tackle a wildfire at Holme Fen.

Officials have also recorded increasing numbers of algal blooms, fish deaths and incidents of deteriorating water quality, while the continued hot and dry conditions are fuelling the threat of further wildfires.

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