Severe drought declared in parts of southern England as reservoirs run low
Severe drought has been declared in parts of southern England after the driest April to September in more than a century, with some reservoirs at 16% to 17% full.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Severe drought has been declared in parts of southern England after the driest April to September period in more than a century. The Environment Agency said the highest level of drought was being declared in six counties: Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, West Sussex and East Sussex. It said drought is causing or is likely to cause serious harm, with lasting effects possible for farming communities, nature and the economy.
Reservoir levels are strikingly low. Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor in Somerset, which serves about 300,000 homes and businesses, is reported at 16 to 17 per cent full, when it would normally be around 75 per cent at this time of year. Ardingly Reservoir in West Sussex is less than 20 per cent full and serves almost 100,000 properties. One reservoir in Somerset, Blagdon, is now reported to be half full again, but many others remain far below normal. Across England, 82 per cent of the country remains in drought, and some areas would need 120 per cent of typical rainfall over the next six months to recover.
The declaration is not expected to interrupt public water supplies. The government said customers should not face disruption, but it has told water companies to monitor reservoir and river levels daily and to step up plans to protect supplies. The Environment Agency will increase compliance checks on businesses that abstract water, to stop them taking more than they are allowed. Regulators have been told to prioritise drinking water, even if that means less water is released into rivers. People are being urged to use water wisely.
Restrictions are already in place. Hosepipe bans have been in force in some areas since August, and South West Water is looking at further limits on non-essential business use, such as cleaning office windows and company cars. South East Water has said standpipes would be a last resort. South West Water has faced criticism that it has not invested enough in infrastructure and leaks, which the company denies. Ministers point to longer-term plans, including nine new reservoirs, to improve water resilience.
Climate change is part of the backdrop. The summer was exceptionally hot and dry, and scientists warn that hotter, drier summers are becoming more likely. One politician warned of a whiplash climate that swings between flooding and drought, with the possibility that both could happen this winter. The autumn has so far been drier than average in southern England. Forecasters said the next five days would bring some rain, including in the south, but not an awful lot. Next week looks wetter, with low pressure and possible storm systems, though the longer-term outlook is mixed. Colder air from the north will also bring sunshine, frost and fog at night.
The declaration has been described as the first time a severe drought has been declared in the UK. It is not an emergency, but it is a serious warning. Many parts of Wales remain in drought after a difficult summer, although rain has eased the severity there. In contrast, Istanbul has seen its heaviest rainfall in at least 80 years, causing flash floods that killed three people and left others missing, while Rhodes also suffered flash floods.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 3 channels | |||
| Severe drought was declared across parts of six counties in southern England. | |||
| The Environment Agency would increase checks on businesses taking water from natural sources to prevent them taking more than allowed. | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | |
| Reported by a few · 2 channels | |||
| Above average rainfall, in some areas around 120% of typical rainfall over six months, was needed to alleviate the drought. | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | |
| Ardingly Reservoir in West Sussex was 19% full or less than 20% full. | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | |
| Forecasts indicated some rain in the south over the next five days but little rainfall over the coming weeks. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | |
| Parts of southwest and southeast England recorded their driest April to September period in over a century. | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Reservoir levels are critically low, with Wimbleball reported at 16% full and Ardingly below 20% full. | Not reported by BBC One | ||
| Severe drought was reported, with the Environment Agency citing serious harm to farming, nature and the economy, and 82% of England still in drought with severe areas including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, West Sussex and East Sussex. | Not reported by BBC One | ||
| Wimbleball Reservoir in Somerset was 16 to 17% full. | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV |
| Only on one channel | |||
| 82% of England was still in drought. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | |
| Autumn rainfall in southern UK has so far been slightly below average. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Reservoirs in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, West Sussex and East Sussex are taking urgent measures to secure public water supplies. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
| The government was bringing in long-term measures to increase UK water resilience, including plans for nine more reservoirs. | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Across its bulletins, BBC ONE West led on the scale of the declaration and the weather context. It named the six counties affected, reported from Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor, and stressed that the driest April to September in over 100 years had left some reservoirs far below normal. It also covered government instructions to water companies, possible further restrictions, and criticism of South West Water, alongside a wider contrast with flash floods in Turkey and Rhodes.
- “Severe drought declared across parts of six counties in southern England. Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, West and East Sussex.”
- “Our hot, dry summer continues to take its toll.”
- “The government says this is about sounding a wake-up call to the water companies”
ITV1 framed the declaration as the highest possible drought level and focused on what it means in practice for customers and businesses. Its reporter explained from Wimbleball that the reservoir is at 16% instead of about 75%, and the bulletin stressed that public supplies should not be interrupted while standpipes remain a last resort. It also included a political warning about a whiplash climate and noted that rain in one place did not mean the same picture across the country.
- “A severe drought has been declared in large parts of southern England.”
- “It simply means the highest level of drought that can be reached.”
- “We are having a whiplash climate where we are moving so quickly between flooding and drought”
Channel 4 put the human and environmental impact first, reporting from Ardingly Reservoir and speaking to residents in Haywards Heath. It emphasised that 82% of England is still in drought, that some areas need 120% of normal rainfall to recover, and that the declaration is a serious warning rather than an emergency. It also linked the dry conditions to poor harvests, fires and climate change, and noted that Wales has had only limited relief.
- “It's supposed to be a reservoir. At the moment, it looks more like a glorified puddle”
- “82% of England is still in drought with areas where it's considered severe, not just here in West Sussex, but littered across the South”
- “Severe drought isn't considered an emergency, but it is a serious warning to instigate some serious planning”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.