Environment Agency Declares Severe Drought in Six Southern English Counties as Reservoirs Fall Below 20 Percent

The Environment Agency moved parts of six southern English counties into severe drought on 15 October 2026, the highest category in the system, after reservoir levels at Ardingly in West Sussex and Wimbleball in Somerset dropped to 19 percent and 15 percent of capacity.

Normal seasonal levels at this time of year would be around 75 percent. The agency classed both reservoirs, along with Colliford in Cornwall, as exceptionally low. Other reservoirs in the region also sit well below average: Roadford in Devon at 36.8 percent, Burrator at 33.6 percent and Stithians at 21.9 percent.

The declaration followed a review by the National Drought Group. The period from April to September was the driest in more than a century in the south-east and south-west. The summer of 2026 set a record for average daily maximum temperature at 21.3 degrees Celsius, surpassing the 1976 mark. High demand during the heat combined with low rainfall to empty stores that normally refill through autumn.

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said the conditions had not been seen for decades and that the government was stepping up support and planning. Water companies have been told to monitor reservoir and river levels daily and to activate drought plans. The Environment Agency will increase checks on businesses that abstract water from rivers and aquifers. Public supplies are not expected to be interrupted, but non-essential use restrictions such as hosepipe bans are already in place in some areas and could widen.

Ardingly serves about 95,000 properties supplied by South East Water. Wimbleball supplies roughly 300,000 customers of South West Water and Wessex Water across parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Smaller reservoirs serving tens of thousands of households in Devon and Cornwall are also under pressure.

The agency estimates that some catchments will need 120 percent of typical rainfall over the next six months to recover. Without sustained autumn rain, drought conditions are expected to persist or worsen into winter. Farming, river ecosystems and local tourism face reduced water availability. The move is the first severe drought declaration in England since 1995.

Yorkshire was placed in drought earlier in October. With the new declaration, the great majority of England is now in some form of drought status, leaving only the north-west and north-east outside the formal category. South West Water has asked customers to continue reducing use even after any rainfall, noting that recovery of storage takes time.

The severity of the 2026 drought reflects both the record heat and the failure of usual autumn recharge. Water companies and the Environment Agency will now operate under the stricter rules that apply once severe status is declared, prioritising public supply over environmental flows where necessary.