Severe Drought Declared in Parts of Southern England
Reservoirs at Ardingly and Wimbleball sit near 15 to 20 percent capacity after the driest April-to-September period in more than a century.
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The Environment Agency declared severe drought on 15 October 2026 in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.
The status is the highest level available. It follows the driest April-to-September period in southern England in more than 100 years and the hottest summer on record. More than 80 percent of England remains in some form of drought. The National Drought Group reviewed conditions before the declaration.
Two reservoirs are the immediate concern. Ardingly in West Sussex stands at about 19 percent capacity. Wimbleball in Somerset is near 15 to 16 percent. Both are expected to be around 75 percent full at this time of year. Other reservoirs are also low: Roadford in Devon at 37 percent, Burrator at 34 percent, Colliford in Cornwall at 35 percent and Stithians at 22 percent. Colliford and Wimbleball are classed as exceptionally low.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said the situation has not been seen for decades. The government has instructed water companies to step up daily monitoring and to prioritise public supplies. The Environment Agency will increase checks on abstractors. Customer supplies are not expected to be interrupted, but the declaration triggers emergency planning.
South West Water and South East Water have already asked customers to reduce non-essential use. Further restrictions on commercial abstraction are under discussion. Recovery will require above-average rainfall over the next six months. Current forecasts show continued dry weather into late October.
The last comparable severe drought in these areas occurred in 1995. The 1976 drought remains the benchmark for extreme conditions in living memory. High summer demand, low river flows and limited autumn recharge have left storage critically short heading into winter.
Farmers, businesses and households in the affected counties face tighter limits on water use. The Environment Agency has noted that some environmental protections may be relaxed temporarily so that more water can be retained for drinking supplies. Local authorities and water companies are coordinating contingency measures.
Reservoir levels are published weekly. The next significant recovery opportunity is the autumn and winter rainfall period. Without substantially above-average rain, restrictions are likely to remain in place into 2027. The declaration covers the supply zones served by the most stressed reservoirs while the rest of England stays under drought status at lower levels.
