Severe drought declared in southern England — SkimNews
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- Environment Agency declared 'severe drought' in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex, and West Sussex due to exceptionally low reservoir levels and prolonged dry weather
- UK water companies have imposed hosepipe bans across 11 regions, affecting roughly 30 million people in England and Wales to manage dwindling water supplies
- Ardingly Reservoir and Wimbleball Reservoir are among those at 'exceptionally low' levels, with England's reservoirs averaging just over half full—well below the typical three-quarters for this time of year
- Prof Alan MacDonald of the British Geological Survey noted that groundwater stores in southern England, while slow to respond, are now declining and increasingly below normal after months of dry conditions
- Met Office and UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology data show south-east England experienced its driest April to September in over a century, with most river flows in England rated 'below normal' or worse in July
- Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading, stated that rising temperatures increase evaporation, making droughts develop more rapidly despite no clear long-term trend in UK summer rainfall
Why it matters: Water infrastructure strain is now acute in southern England, where underinvestment and climate-driven drying have combined to push reservoirs and groundwater to critical levels—forcing immediate conservation measures while nine planned reservoirs won’t come online until 2050, leaving supply vulnerable to recurring dry summers.
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