European Union satellite images have revealed vast swathes of southern England turning brown from space following an intense summer dry spell that has left more than two-thirds of the country in drought.
Official data indicates that 71.3 per cent of England is currently classified as being in drought after Britain experienced one of its driest summer periods on record. The satellite photographs, released by the European Union, highlight dramatic landscape changes across the region compared to the previous year.
The first set of orbital images was captured by Copernicus Sentinel-3, a satellite that measures Earth's oceans, land, rivers, lakes, sea-ice and atmosphere. A photograph taken on 15 August 2025 shows large parts of London, Southampton and much of Wales covered in green grass. In contrast, an image taken from the same satellite on 13 August 2026 shows that the majority of the land has turned brown, with green grass patches remaining few and far between.
Copernicus Sentinel satellite imaging
The Copernicus programme is the Earth observation component of the European Union space initiative, operated in partnership with the European Space Agency. Copernicus Sentinel-3 instruments use radiometers and surface temperature sensors to observe terrestrial vegetation health, soil moisture levels and environmental changes globally from low Earth orbit.
A second set of before-and-after imagery was recorded by Copernicus Sentinel-2, focusing directly on central London. The comparison shows landmark site Hyde Park, a 350-acre Grade I-listed Royal Park in the capital, almost entirely scorched by the prolonged lack of rain. Comparing images from 17 August 2025 and 13 August 2026 reveals extensive browning across the park's famous green lawns.
Record dry spells across southern England
According to the Met Office, the United Kingdom's national weather service, the country has just navigated an exceptionally prolonged dry spell, with multiple locations recording record runs without precipitation. Wisley in Surrey logged 61 consecutive dry days, while both London Heathrow Airport and Odiham in Hampshire went 55 days without meaningful rainfall. Several other weather monitoring stations across southern England recorded dry spells stretching beyond six weeks.
European Union data from the European Drought Observatory, a drought monitoring service operated by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, confirmed the severity of the conditions. At the end of July 2026, 25 per cent of England's territory was classified under Alert conditions, while 65 per cent was placed under Warning status.
Forecast rain and flood warnings
Although rain is expected across the United Kingdom over the coming week, forecasters at the Met Office cautioned that the wet weather may do little to immediately alleviate drought conditions. The Met Office explained: "Rain is expected at times through the week ahead, with showers, longer spells of rain and even the risk of thunder in places."
However, meteorologists warned the public to remain cautious about the overall impact of the coming rainfall. The Met Office stated that people should be "cautious about how much impact it will have," noting that much of the precipitation will arrive as localized downpours rather than sustained rainfall. "Many of the wettest periods this week are expected to come in the form of showers rather than prolonged, steady rain," the weather service explained, adding that showers can be highly variable across neighbouring locations. Furthermore, heavy downpours risk running off parched, hardened topsoil rather than soaking deeply into underground aquifers.
The severe dry conditions have already triggered water conservation measures across parts of Britain. Utility provider Wessex Water, which supplies drinking water and sewerage services across south-west England, announced its first hosepipe ban since 1976. Meanwhile, emergency services and weather agencies warned that sudden heavy downpours on dry ground increase the risk of flash flooding across the country.
