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Severe drought declared in parts of Somerset following low rainfall and heatwaves
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Parts of Somerset, alongside other areas in southern England, have been placed in severe drought by the Environment Agency following a summer of heatwaves and below-average autumn rainfall. The Wimbleball reservoir has dropped to 15% capacity, prompting water companies and the government to take additional preservation measures, though officials state that household supplies remain protected for now.
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- Parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and East and West Sussex were declared to be in severe drought by the Environment Agency.
- The west Somerset area is supplied by the Wimbleball reservoir, which is at 15% capacity due to months of low rainfall and summer heatwaves.
- The severe drought classification allows water companies to take extra measures, such as restricting reservoir releases and limiting business water use.
- Wessex Water previously implemented its first hosepipe ban in 50 years as summer demand reached 440 million litres per day.
- Average reservoir levels across Somerset are currently at 24%, well below normal levels for this time of year.
- Water companies and the Environment Agency report that customers' supplies are not currently affected, utilizing grid networks to move water into the affected areas.