Understand
Parts of England escalate to severe drought following exceptionally dry spring and summer
Overview
Following the wettest winter in 190 years in Cornwall and record rainfall across Devon at the start of 2026, parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have been escalated to severe drought. An exceptionally dry spring and summer, multiple heatwaves, and below-average autumn rainfall have left major reservoirs critically low, prompting hosepipe bans and continued monitoring by the Environment Agency.
Key points
- Cornwall recorded its wettest winter in 190 years, but from April onwards rainfall was significantly below average, leading to the driest April to September in over a century.
- A series of heatwaves over the summer led to high water demand and the introduction of hosepipe bans across the South West Water area.
- Reservoir levels have plummeted significantly, with Wimbleball on Exmoor dropping to 14.9% capacity and Ardingly Reservoir in West Sussex falling to 19.4% capacity.
- Other main reservoirs are also severely depleted, including Roadford at 36.8%, Burrator at 33.6%, Colliford at 35%, and Stithians at 21.9% capacity.
- Severe drought is the most serious level, declared when drought causes or will soon cause serious harm requiring emergency action to protect water supplies and the environment.
- The Environment Agency states that 82% of England remains in drought, and parts of the country need 120% of expected rainfall over the next six months to prevent conditions from worsening.