Drought and Extreme Heat Strain England and Wales Water Supplies

Five key reservoirs across England and Wales are "exceptionally low" as drought and extreme heat pile pressure on public water supply that is likely to continue into the autumn. Most of Europe has endured back-to-back climate crisis-driven heatwaves this summer. The extreme heat, coupled with strikingly little rainfall, means almost three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales is now in drought.

Environment Agency data from 11 August shows five key reservoirs are now "exceptionally low". Wimbleball reservoir, operated by South West Water, is less than half full, at 46%. The other four that are "exceptionally low" are Clatworthy in Somerset (48%), Hanningfield in Essex (56%), Clywedog in Powys (56%), and the Dove group in Derbyshire (69%).

Across England, total reservoir levels have fallen to 66%, down from 69% last week and nearly 14 percentage points lower than expected for this time of year. Of the 32 reservoirs the Environment Agency classifies as strategically important or geographically representative, just four are classed as at normal levels: Draycote Water in Warwickshire, Bewl in Kent, Roadford in Devon and Vyrnwy in Powys.