UK Heatwaves: Satellite Images Show How Hot, Dry Summer Is Changing the Land

This summer, the United Kingdom has been hit by a series of heatwaves that have left much of the country hot and dry. Satellite images — photos taken from space — are showing just how much the landscape has changed. Parks have turned brown, reservoirs have shrunk, and parts of England and Wales have officially been declared to be in drought. BBC Verify collected these images to help people understand the scale of the problem.

This year's heat has been extreme, even compared to last summer, which was the warmest the UK had ever recorded. Temperatures have stayed above normal for weeks at a time, and rain has been very hard to come by. The back-to-back heatwaves started as early as May, and their effects have been building ever since.

One of the biggest concerns is the state of the UK's water supply. According to the UK government, nearly all reservoirs in England and Wales have water levels that are below normal or low. A reservoir is a large, human-made lake used to store drinking water. Five reservoirs are described as 'exceptionally low,' including Clywedog reservoir in Powys, Wales, which supplies water to parts of the West Midlands region of England.

Satellite images of Clywedog show that far more of its muddy banks are visible this August than they were during the same month last year. Overall, the Environment Agency reports that reservoir storage in England is at 69%, which is below the long-term average of 82% for this time of year. However, water levels are still higher than they were during the droughts of 2022 and 2025.

The low water levels have led to hosepipe bans in large parts of England and Wales. A hosepipe ban means people cannot use a garden hose to water their lawns or wash their cars. These bans are mainly caused by a lack of rainfall rather than just low reservoir levels. Water companies worry that if people keep using water at high rates, supplies could run out.

Scotland has not been hit as hard as England and Wales, but it has still felt the effects of the dry summer. In July, rainfall in the south and east of Scotland was well below average, with some areas getting less than half the rain they normally would. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has warned of 'significant' water scarcity in the Borders region and 'moderate scarcity' in parts of eastern Scotland.

The dry conditions made headlines at golf's Open Championship, held at Royal Birkdale on Merseyside last month. The fairways — the grassy areas between the tee and the green — were hard, dry, and brown, which was a big talking point for players and fans. Satellite images comparing the course from summer 2025 to this year show a dramatic difference in how green the grass looked. When hosepipe bans are in place, golf courses are allowed to water their greens and tees but not their fairways.

In London, the famous Hyde Park has also been badly affected. The Serpentine lake inside the park was closed for swimming after high levels of blue-green algae were found in the water. Blue-green algae grow naturally, but warm and sunny weather helps them spread quickly. Some types of blue-green algae can be harmful to both people and animals.

The rest of Hyde Park, once famous for its lush green grass, is now mostly brown. The same is true at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, where the rolling green fields around the ancient stone circle have turned a pale, straw-like color. Scientists call this 'vegetation stress,' which happens when plants, grass, and crops cannot get the water and nutrients they need to grow. The good news is that many plants, including grass, can bounce back once rainfall returns — as long as their roots are still alive underground.

The drought is also causing serious problems for farmers. Experts warn that crops could fail or produce less food than usual, which might lead to higher food prices in the coming months. There is also a surprising danger: after a long dry spell, heavy rain can actually cause flash floods. That is because very dry ground becomes hard and cannot soak up water quickly, so rainwater runs off the surface instead of being absorbed into the soil.

Scientists say that problems like this could get worse over time. Human-caused climate change is raising temperatures and making extreme weather events more common. At the same time, the UK's growing population means more demand for water. Experts are calling on governments and communities to plan ahead so the country is better prepared for future droughts and water shortages.