Severe drought just declared across 6 English counties - new emergency plan triggered

Severe drought just declared across 6 English counties - new emergency plan triggered A severe drought has been declared in parts of six English counties, prompting the Government to activate measures to protect water supplies. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Taila Nichole Thompson 22:29, Thu, Oct 15, 2026 Updated: 22:29, Thu, Oct 15, 2026 Parts of six English counties have been placed under severe drought (Image: Getty) A severe drought has been declared across parts of six English counties, with the Government activating new measures to protect household water supplies. The warning affects parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex following months of unusually dry weather. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT According to the Government, the South East and South West experienced their driest April to September in more than 100 years, leaving reservoir levels dangerously low. Ministers have now stepped in, ordering water companies to increase monitoring and take further action to prevent supplies from being disrupted. Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . The new measures include daily checks on reservoir and river levels, alongside tougher monitoring of water quality. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Andy Burnham introduces new £1.98 driveway rule - starts in October Horror tiger attack details as witness reveals object victim grabbed before mauling The Environment Agency will also carry out more checks on businesses taking water from rivers and other natural sources to make sure they are not exceeding permitted limits. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Local Resilience Forums are being brought into action so support can be organised quickly if the situation gets worse. Despite the severe drought declaration, the Government has said household water supplies will remain uninterrupted for now. Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this government is stepping up our support and planning." She added that ministers were working closely with water companies to protect supplies and urged people to use water carefully over the coming weeks. Water Minister Emma Hardy has also instructed the Environment Agency to prioritise public water supplies in affected areas where difficult decisions need to be made. This could allow water companies to keep more water in depleted reservoirs to help protect supplies. Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy warned that record-breaking summer heat had put water resources under enormous pressure. He said: "Recovery depends on both rainfall and how much water we use. We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now." The announcement follows another meeting of the National Drought Group, which has been coordinating the response to the dry conditions since August. Households are being encouraged to reduce unnecessary water use while the authorities work to prevent further disruption. The Government said the measures are being introduced now to safeguard supplies before more serious problems develop. Heatwave England Environment Agency Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments