BBC News, on Climate, 25 October 2026

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Storms bring back rain but parts of Sussex still in severe drought

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Rain returns but parts of Sussex still in severe drought Image source, Ben Leete/BBC Image caption, According to South East Water, Ardingly Reservoir was recorded as 17.1% full on 18 October By Cash Murphy South East Published 52 minutes ago Storm Austen and Storm Boelo, the first two named storms of the season, have brought lashing rain and heavy winds to Sussex. Damage included part of Brighton's iconic West Pier collapsing into the sea, one side of a petrol station roof in Newhaven coming loose, and a tree falling on to a platform at Angmering station.

, with parts of the county in a "severe drought" following a declaration made by the government earlier this month. But now the weather has turned wet and windy - so why is Sussex still in a severe drought? Image source, Reuters Image caption, Waves crashed over the lighthouse at Newhaven Harbour during Storm Austen on Friday The declaration of severe drought is not linked to current rainfall, but to reservoir levels.

When making its recent assessment, the Environment Agency (EA) concluded that these levels have been significantly depleted by . , external Specifically, the government said the change to severe drought status had been prompted by concerns for two major reservoirs, Ardingly in West Sussex and Wimbleball in Somerset. Ardingly serves 280,000 customers across East and West Sussex.

On 14 October, South East Water said the reservoir was 19.4% full. A day later, severe drought was declared. The latest reading reveals that Ardingly is 17.1% full, prompting the water company to reduce the daily volume of water released from the reservoir into the River Ouse to protect drinking supplies . According to research published by the EA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in September, England needs 120% of its typical rainfall over the next seven months , external for all areas to be considered out of drought.

Image source, South East Water Image caption, Images of what the planned new reservoir near Canterbury would look like have been released No new major reservoirs have been built in England since 1992. However, in 2024 the government announced proposals to build nine by 2050. South East Water has submitted a proposal to build a new reservoir at Broad Oak, near Canterbury. The company expects an outline planning application to be ready in 2028, and if approved, construction would begin in 2031 ahead of water supply beginning in 2035 .

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook , external , on X , external , and on Instagram , external and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds . Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk , external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Related topics Drought Environment Agency More on this story Fresh drought measures to protect drinking water Published 2 days ago Reservoir falls below 20% as drought persists Published 14 October Parched South East revealed in drone images Published 18 August Related internet links Environment Agency South East Water

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What we found (1)

BBC News explains why parts of Sussex remain in severe drought despite two storms. It reports the driest April to September in over a century and a summer of multiple heatwaves and record temperatures, but never says that warming makes droughts and heat extremes like these more frequent or more severe. A reader comes away with the drought as a matter of rainfall and reservoir planning alone.

  1. Leaves out the climate link

    Serious

    “Over the summer the UK experienced multiple heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures”

    Why this matters
    The words "multiple heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures" set out the summer's extreme heat as the cause of the drought, with no word on why such heat is happening.
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes the record heat was a run of bad luck in the weather, unconnected to any longer trend.
    The context
    Human-caused warming has made hot extremes more frequent and more intense. The article never mentions climate change or warming anywhere.

    How we know

    • On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
    • On the recordIt is unequivocal that human influence, chiefly the burning of fossil fuels, has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
    • Checked against the whole articleIt never uses the words “climate” and “warming”.

    Show it in the article

    “the South East experiencing its driest April to September in over a century”

    Why this matters
    The phrase "driest April to September in over a century" gives the scale of the dry spell that emptied Ardingly reservoir, the centre of the story, but presents it only as a record to note.
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes the drought is a rare natural event, to be solved by building reservoirs, as the article goes on to discuss.
    The context
    Warming has made agricultural and ecological drought more frequent or more severe. The article never says so, even briefly, while it discusses long-term water supply plans to 2050.

    How we know

    • On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
    • Elsewhere in the article“proposals to build nine by 2050”
    • Checked against the whole articleIt never uses the words “warming”.

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    The South East had its driest April to September in over a century, after a summer of multiple heatwaves and record temperatures. Climate change is making droughts and heatwaves like these more frequent and more severe.

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