The National Drought Group said all areas of England were facing water shortages – with farming, and the environment particularly impacted. The North East and Yorkshire have moved into prolonged dry weather, the stage before drought, meaning no part of England now remains in normal status. Tony Grayling, strategic drought lead at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said conditions were “worsening and will continue to do so until we see significant and sustained rainfall”. Paul Tompkins, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union, said the situation facing farmers and growers was “increasingly concerning” with no meaningful rain forecast in the coming weeks. Forecasts for the rest of August and into September suggested a good deal of dry weather was likely, she said, with “no strong signal for a sustained period of widespread rainfall”.