Squash down: smaller pumpkins expected this Halloween after drought in England 17 October 2026 at 05:00

Squash down: smaller pumpkins expected this Halloween after drought in England

17 October 2026 at 05:00

Data shows 2026 could be worst harvest on record, as growers suggest painting faces on vegetables instead of carving

In the lead-up to Halloween, front porches across the country feature fat, proudly carved pumpkins, lit from within by tea lights.

But this year there is likely to be a shortage due to drought, experts have warned, with the squashes much smaller than usual.

Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low 15 October 2026 at 08:18

Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low

The Guardian

By: Sandra Laville

15 October 2026 at 08:18

Some reservoirs in south at critical levels as water companies call for extended restrictions that would affect golf clubs, private schools and car washes

A severe drought has been declared in six areas of England, with some reservoirs at critically low levels, threatening public supplies.

Parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have moved into severe drought, and urgent measures are being taken to secure public supplies of water after the UK experienced its hottest summer on record.

‘I am still a child, it cannot be good to be married’: how drought forces Afghan families to sell girls as brides 15 October 2026 at 00:00

‘I am still a child, it cannot be good to be married’: how drought forces Afghan families to sell girls as brides

The Guardian

By: Elise Blanchard

15 October 2026 at 00:00

As climate breakdown pushes families to starvation, many feel forced to ‘sacrifice’ daughters to save siblings. Photographer Elise Blanchard travelled the country speaking to girls as young as eight, 10 and 14 who have been engaged or married to repay debts or pay for food

‘I’m not happy about this,” says 11-year-old Khatira, who was sold into marriage to repay debts, sitting in her home in Qala-e-Naw, capital of Badghis province in north-west Afghanistan. “She was healthy before her engagement, now she is worried and cries a lot,” says her 40-year-old mother, Noor Bibi.

When her 20-year-old husband-to-be comes to her home, Khatira runs away. Since her engagement, she has stopped going outside because she “is ashamed of having a husband in front of the other girls”, says her mother.

Shepherds watch over their sheep in the hills of Bala-Murghab, Badghis province, north-west Afghanistan. By March, the pasture was already too dry for the season

Businesses could be barred from non-essential water use amid supply threat 14 October 2026 at 02:00

Businesses could be barred from non-essential water use amid supply threat

The Guardian

By: Sandra Laville

14 October 2026 at 02:00

Golf clubs, private schools and car washes may face tighter rules from water companies as England’s drought continues

Three water companies are seeking to impose severe restrictions on businesses as the drought continues across most of England, putting rivers and wildlife under huge pressure.

Golf clubs and private schools could be barred from using mains water to irrigate playing fields and courses, and commercial car washes stopped from operating, under “non-essential use bans” being sought by the companies.

Rapid showers and no flushing toilets: drought pushes Lundy island to the brink 11 October 2026 at 08:00

Rapid showers and no flushing toilets: drought pushes Lundy island to the brink

The Guardian

By: Steven Morris

11 October 2026 at 08:00

A dry summer has left the Bristol Channel island critically short of water, forcing visitor caps and talk of evacuating its 28 residents

Tom Carr was peering up at the clouds scudding around the island of Lundy, 10 miles off the coast of north Devon. “That one’s definitely got rain in it,” he said. “The mainland will be wet at the moment. And look over at Wales – it’s getting a real soaking just now.”

But above Lundy the sky was, stubbornly, blue. No significant rain has fallen here since the start of May, leading to perilously low water levels. Restrictions have been put in place, visitor numbers limited and there has been talk of the island – home to 28 people – being evacuated.

‘Some aren’t going to make it’: how pressure on farmers threatens UK food security 11 October 2026 at 07:00

‘Some aren’t going to make it’: how pressure on farmers threatens UK food security

The Guardian

By: Joanna Partridge

11 October 2026 at 07:00

Food producers are adding their voices to the chorus of warnings about the vulnerability of British supply chains

“There are so many decent, capable, productive, efficient arable farmers out there, asking how they are supposed to finance the crop they are meant to be putting in the ground,” Jamie Burrows says.

Sitting in his tractor at his arable farm in Norfolk, Burrows is listing the multiple challenges facing him and other food producers.

Stockpile food – and wash your hands: is that really how to prepare for environmental catastrophe? | George Monbiot 8 October 2026 at 01:00

Stockpile food – and wash your hands: is that really how to prepare for environmental catastrophe? | George Monbiot

The Guardian

By: George Monbiot

8 October 2026 at 01:00

The UK state is dumping its responsibilities on our doorsteps, while green-lighting policies that lead us closer to crisis

Would you mind fixing the NHS? And while you’re at it, could you please build an anti-missile system in your garden? Then regulate the banks, replace the water mains, tax the very rich and use the proceeds to rebuild our schools. Well, come on people: what are you waiting for?

I exaggerate, but this isn’t very far from the approach taken by the government’s Prepare campaign. Crucial functions, way beyond the scope of individual action, are dumped on our doorsteps while those in power fail to act. As a result, our national resilience is arguably lower than at any time since the second world war. At the Labour conference last week, Andy Burnham promised “a Britain where people feel the country has got their back again”. To make good on that pledge, he will have to change almost everything.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist