UK drought persists as reservoir levels remain below seasonal average

Drought conditions in England continued to worsen in the week ending Oct 15, despite rainfall in parts of the country, according to the Environment Agency’s latest weekly assessment. National reservoir storage stood at 54% of capacity, around 21% below the long-term average for this time of year.

The agency’s report said the month of October remained much drier than normal overall. Although river flows increased at most monitored sites compared with the previous week, the majority remained below normal or lower for the time of year.

Eighteen reservoir groups were less than half full, with 11 classified as exceptionally low. More than two-thirds of reservoirs recorded a fall in storage during the week ending Oct 13, although some reservoirs in northern England and Wales registered increases.

The government declared severe drought in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex on Oct 15. Yorkshire had also moved into drought status earlier in the month on Oct 9.

The pressure on water resources has prompted restrictions across several water-company areas. Temporary use bans remained in place for customers served by multiple suppliers, including Thames Water, South East Water, South West Water and Anglian Water. The agency said further significant rainfall would be needed to restore normal water-resource conditions in many areas.

The effects are also being recorded in the natural environment. The agency reported 403 confirmed incidents linked to drought and dry weather since the beginning of 2026, exceeding the totals recorded for the whole of 2022, when 380 incidents were reported, and 2025, when the figure was 321. The agency cautioned that the 2026 total could rise further because of reporting delays.

Among the incidents recorded since the start of the year were 41 confirmed algae incidents and 99 confirmed incidents involving dead fish attributed to drought and dry weather.

The agency also reported 186 confirmed abstraction or low-flow incidents, a figure higher than the equivalent total for 2025.

Agriculture faces additional uncertainty as low river flows and depleted storage reservoirs raise concerns about farmers’ ability to replenish supplies over winter.

The agency warned that continued dry conditions could affect water availability for the 2027 irrigation season, with some farmers considering planting smaller areas of irrigated crops.

The Environment Agency said it had activated its incident-response arrangements, strengthened environmental monitoring and continued coordination through the National Drought Group.

Its weekly assessment indicates that, despite some recent rainfall, England’s water resources and ecosystems remain under pressure.