Severe drought declared in England for first time

Severe drought has been declared for the first time in English history, as two reservoirs fell to worryingly low levels after the driest six months in more than a century. The significant escalation means parts of six counties across southern England — Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex — are in severe drought. Most of the rest of England is in drought, including Yorkshire as of last week. Most commented 1 Ukraine ‘has run out of Patriot interceptor missiles’ Russia-Ukraine war 232 comments 2 British-made drone boats used in attack on Russian port of Sochi Defence 126 comments 3 Lisa Nandy ‘minded to intervene’ in Sky’s £1.6bn deal for ITV Companies & Markets 64 comments 4 Sonay Kartal trounces Jasmine Paolini to reach Wuhan Open quarter-finals Tennis 4 comments 5 How Lewis Hamilton’s brother overcame cerebral palsy to become racing driver Formula 1 9 comments Although similar hydrological conditions occurred in 1976 and 1995, Environment Agency officials said this was the first time the formal severe drought status had ever been invoked. Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics It was triggered at a meeting of the National Drought Group on Thursday due to emergency conditions at Ardingly Reservoir in West Sussex , which has dropped to 19 per cent capacity, and Wimbleball Reservoir in Somerset, which stands at just 16 per cent. Wimbleball lake in Somerset Mark Passmore/SWNS The Environment Agency typically expects reservoir storage across England to be about 75 per cent at this time of year. Advertisement Ardingly Reservoir serves about 280,000 people in Haywards Heath, Uckfield and the surrounding areas. John Halsall, the chief executive of South East Water, told The Times that if dry conditions persisted, Ardingly could hit “day zero” — running completely dry — within weeks. At present, day zero is expected in December. Baitings Reservoir, West Yorkshire Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Such a crisis could force the deployment of street standpipes and partial-day “rota cuts” for households for the first time since the 1976 heatwave. Top stories 1 Pope Leo has ‘second good night’ after lung cancer surgery Europe 2 Should you buy shares in Vanguard LifeStrategy? Companies & Markets Wimbleball Reservoir supplies 300,000 properties across Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Although it does not supply Cornwall, there are concerns about smaller reservoirs in the county. Thames Water handing out bottled water to residents in Chigwell, Essex, in August Yui Mok/PA Under severe drought protocols, ministers have instructed water companies to introduce daily monitoring of depleted rivers and reservoirs, along with heightened water quality checks to manage the risk of sewage being less diluted. Emma Hardy, the water minister, has directed regulators to grant emergency drought permits allowing water companies to temporarily reduce environmental river releases. Advertisement Environment newsletter The latest climate, energy and nature news and analysis, plus reasons to be hopeful. Sign up with one click You’ve successfully signed up to the Environment newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Environment newsletter Explore our newsletters South East Water will reduce daily discharges from Ardingly Reservoir into the River Ouse by three million litres, while South West Water will hold back nine million litres a day from the River Exe. Water companies are likely to escalate their drought plans as a result of the declaration of severe drought. Two companies, South East Water and Wessex Water, have areas that are at “drought level three”, the penultimate of four operational levels used by water firms. Several others have reached drought level two, while tens of millions of people across the country are still affected by a hosepipe ban. Dry fields in Avebury, Wiltshire Brook Mitchell/Getty Images “This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this government is stepping up our support and planning,” said Dame Angela Eagle, the environment secretary, who urged people to use less water. The government stressed that water supply to customers is not at risk. South East Water, South West Water and Southern Water have applied for non-essential use bans , which would grant legal powers to prohibit swimming pool filling, window washing and vehicle cleaning for the first time in 20 years. Advertisement The move comes after the southeast and southwest endured the driest April to September in more than a century. Ground movement caused by baking summer soils has also triggered a surge in burst water pipes, exacerbating water supply concerns.