Severe drought declared in southern England

The UK government declared a “severe drought” in parts of southern England on Thursday after what it called an unprecedented period of extreme weather.

The status was declared in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. It is the worst drought stage, triggered by exceptionally low indicators over a long period.

The government said more than 80 percent of England is currently in drought after the United Kingdom recorded its hottest summer on record in 2026 and continued to receive below-average rainfall into autumn.

Two major reservoirs in southwest England serving nearly 400,000 properties were below 20 percent of their storage capacity. The Environment Agency said reservoir storage would normally be around 75 percent at this time of year.

Environment Agency head Philip Duffy said record-breaking summer heat and severe drought had put water resources under “immense pressure”.

As of last week, average reservoir levels across England stood at 54 percent, while the country had received just 10 percent of average October rainfall.

The government urged water companies to monitor water intake from natural resources and encouraged customers to reduce consumption. Usage restrictions have already been imposed in several regions.