'This is what climate change looks like': Dorset in drought

More than two thirds of England is officially in drought — including here in Dorset.

The Environment Agency, which declared the drought, said Dorset recorded its driest July on record last month.

The high temperatures and dry weather have had a profound impact on the landscape across the county, including in Bournemouth, where the town’s parks and recreational grounds look increasingly parched as each rainless day passes by.

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Giles Watts, chair of Dorset Climate Action Network, said: “Dry weather is something which happens most summers — I was around in the famous summer of 1976, and we had a similar hot period.

“Having hot, dry weather is not anything unusual, what is unusual is the time period.

“What we have seen progressively over the years is we are much more likely to get hot weather.

Kings Park, August 14 (Image: Ben Sturt)

Kings Park (Image: Ben Sturt)

“We are much more likely to get droughts, and we are much more likely to have sustained periods where there is very little rainfall.

“That is the difference between the long term and the short term which is so important, and it is why we attribute the droughts we have this summer to the effects of climate change.”

In August so far, Dorset received less than 1mm of rain on average.

However, Watts stressed the importance of focusing on the long term impacts of climate change; despite this, he is concerned the issue has become “politicised”.

“If you look at the discussions that take place on climate change at a local and national level, it has become horribly clouded in politics — even to the extent that people question whether we should be moving towards renewable energy and the electrification of our transport system.

“If nothing changes, people can expect more extreme weather including hotter and drier summers and wetter winters.”

West Cliff Gardens (Image: Ben Sturt)

West Cliff Gardens (Image: Ben Sturt)

Lower Gardens (Image: Ben Sturt)

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Green Party said high temperatures are “undoubtedly” due to climate change — and called on national government to take the necessary steps to address it.

Green Councillor Chris Rigby added: “This drought clearly demonstrates what climate change looks like, and what we should be expecting to happen more regularly in the future.

“It was only six months ago in February that BCP was still dealing with the effects of flooding across the conurbation, with the Echo itself reporting that The Environment Agency stated: ‘It has been the wettest January for a lot of catchments across Dorset and Wiltshire, with the Middle Stour recording the wettest January since records began in 1891’.

“Now we’re hearing that July 2026 is officially the driest month on record for southern England in data going back to 1836.

Branksome Recreation Ground (Image: Ben Sturt)

Branksome Recreation Ground (Image: Ben Sturt)

“Having the wettest and driest months on record in the same year is a stark warning of the weather extremes that climate change is causing.”

For river flows, much of the Hampshire Avon is exceptionally low and almost all sites in Dorset are at least below normal.

The Environment Agency declared drought in Dorset on July 29, 2026.

Jim Flory, environment manager for the Environment Agency’s Wessex area, said: “Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire are in drought, alongside Devon and Cornwall.

“Every hydrological area in Dorset recorded the driest July on record last month.

“Water is precious— not only do we rely on it but so does the environment, with protected, designated areas like the Somerset Levels and Moors reliant on maintained water levels. 

“We all have a duty to use water wisely and we investigate all cases of water being abstracted illegally from the environment.”

Meyrick Park (Image: Ben Sturt)

Meyrick Park Golf Course (Image: Ben Sturt)

Like many parts of the country, Bournemouth’s landscape is looking increasingly parched.

The Echo captured images of parks and recreational grounds across Bournemouth, including Lower Gardens, Kings Park, West Cliff Gardens, Meyrick Park, Corfe Mullen, and Branksome Recreation Ground, to record the impact of the drought.

The images were taken on August 13 and 14.

Readers may notice Lower Gardens looks greener compared to other parks.

Limited areas of grass are being watered as part of a re-seeding arrangement with Skate, the company that ran the ice rink at the Christmas Market.

Kate Langdown, BCP Council’s Director of Environment, added: “In some of our parks we are carrying out limited watering to help protect the formal planting, young trees and new plants, which we know many of our residents and visitors value.

“Areas of Bournemouth Gardens next to the Bourne Stream naturally retain water because they are part of the floodplain.

“We will continue to keep the situation under review and adapt our approach to any change in conditions.”

Jennifer Morisetti, chair of Sustainable Dorset, said: “Recognising what our future weather is going to be like, wet winters and dry summers, we need to adapt to reduce the risks posed. 

”BCP has a particular challenge; a higher-than-average percentage of older residents who are therefore more vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves, making it imperative that carbon emissions and air pollution are reduced.

Corfe Mullen Recreation Ground (Image: Corfemedia)

Corfe Castle (Image: One Man, His Camera & A Pen)

“A good start would be to halt the expansion of incineration facilities which increase air pollution and heavy traffic and instead to focus on recycling and reducing waste at source.

“The expansion of Bournemouth airport will not help either.

“New building on the edge of BCP takes up land which could be absorbing carbon, reducing floods, and maintaining ecosystem health.

“It also generates more traffic, increasing emissions and air pollution.

“The need for adaptation as well as mitigation needs to be reflected in BCP’s Climate Action Report, which currently falls short of real progress and from the huge amount of work still to do, means that it is unlikely that they will meet their climate goals of 2030.”

Dorset COP 2026, which provides opportunities for local stakeholders to come together to accelerate leadership and action on climate change, meets on Saturday, November 14 at Kingston Maurward Campus, Coastland College, in Dorchester — pay-what-you-can tickets are available on its website which says that “everyone is welcome”.