For much of the country, July was unprecedented in terms of aridity. It was the driest July and the fifth driest of any month in the England & Wales rainfall series extending from 1766. It was also the second hottest July on record for England and the hottest (in records from 1884) in the Thames, Southern and Wessex regions, with two major heatwaves affecting southern England during which maximum temperatures exceeded 35°C. The exceptionally dry soils led to agricultural impacts (with reports of early harvests and substantially diminished yields) and widespread wildfires, some of which were designated major incidents (e.g. a persistent moorland fire in the Cairngorms). With widespread notably or exceptionally low river flows, there were pervasive abstraction restrictions, impacts on the canal network and extensive reports of ecological stress. Reservoir stocks fell steeply compared to the end of June (e.g. Clywedog dropped 26% relative to average) and at the end of July were 7% below average for England & Wales, but significantly lower in some impoundments (Clywedog, Ardingly, Wimbleball and Clatworthy were 20% below average or lower). Temporary use bans affecting 20 million people were in place by mid-month, and in the closing week drought status was declared across Wales and half of England, while much of eastern Scotland was classified as ‘moderate scarcity’ with some catchments in the highest ‘significant scarcity’ designation. For the third year in the last five, drought impacts have escalated remarkably quickly in the face of exceptional spring-summer aridity. Following a wet winter, water resources were healthy in early spring, but the situation deteriorated rapidly under intense ‘flash drought’ episodes, where high temperatures accelerate evaporation, compounding the sustained rainfall deficits. Nevertheless, the wet winter has moderated the public water supply position somewhat (compared to last year and other major droughts like 1976) as declines in groundwater levels and reservoir stocks began from an elevated baseline. However, further deterioration is likely. August began with further hot weather and no sign of rainfall in the most affected areas, while the latest Hydrological Outlook indicates widespread below normal to exceptionally low flows are likely to persist well into autumn.