'Weather whiplash' warning as England recovers from drought

England has recovered from drought after four months of above average rainfall, but officials are concerned about future dry spells.

A wetter-than-normal February saw England receive 170% of the long-term average rainfall, the Environment Agency said. A regular government-led meeting of water stakeholders noted that while wetter than normal months had been positive for water supplies, they had "caused devastating flooding" in many areas.

The South West recorded the second-highest December to February winter rainfall since records began in 1871. On Monday, East Anglia became the final area to move back to a "normal" water level status.

The Environment Agency said the risk of drought in 2026 was now low, but there was still the possibility of "flash drought.