Full Breakdown
Record Low Reservoirs Trigger Severe Drought Across England
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In this breakdown
01
Drought Crisis Overview
In October 2026, England declared a severe drought covering parts of the South West and Sussex. The Environment Agency (EA) warned that the country needs 120 % of its typical rainfall to lift the drought by spring 2027, and that a prolonged dry spell could extend into the following summer if rainfall remains average or below. Water restrictions, including partial hose-pipe bans introduced in July and expanded in August, remain in force across the affected regions.
02
Reservoir Levels and Immediate Impacts
Wimbleball reservoir on Exmoor, which supplies drinking water to around 400,000 people in Devon, Somerset and Dorset, fell to a record low of 12.5 % full in early October. By 22 October it was still at 12.5 % capacity, rising to 14 % on 26 October after Storm Austen and Storm Boelo delivered rain. Similar modest rebounds were recorded at Stithians and Drift in Cornwall and Venford in Devon.
03
Climate Context
The Met Office identified the summer of 2026 as the hottest on record, with five heatwaves and 40 days above 30 °C. A Met Office study concluded that the extreme heat was made 130 times more likely by human-induced climate change. Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, described the event as a “flash drought” and a clear signal of climate change, urging better capture of winter rainfall for use in dry summers.
04
Official Responses and Future Measures
He emphasized close coordination with water companies to manage supplies. South West Water has applied to the government for a non-essential-use ban that could affect businesses such as car washes.
The government has pledged long-term resilience measures, including £104 bn for water-infrastructure upgrades and the construction of nine new reservoirs (with a tenth already under way at Havant Thicket). Water UK thanked customers for reduced usage and called for significant winter rain to “refill reservoirs and replenish groundwater.”