Severe Drought in Britain
The British government has declared a severe drought in parts of southern England due to unprecedented rainfall deficits and rising temperatures.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
London, AFP – The British government has declared a “severe drought” in parts of southern England, attributing it to an “unprecedented period of extreme weather.”
The United Kingdom experienced its hottest summer on record in 2026, marked by several heatwaves and exceptional drought resulting from an unprecedented lack of rainfall since records began in 1836.
More than 80 percent of England’s area is currently suffering from drought, with rainfall continuing at below-average rates during the autumn months.
“Severe drought” status was declared in the English counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex, and West Sussex. This is the highest level of drought severity, declared when “exceptionally low indicators persist over a long period.”
The announcement came as water levels in two major reservoirs in southwest England, which supply water to approximately 400,000 properties, fell to less than 20 percent of their storage capacity.
The Environment Agency stated that reservoir water levels “should be around 75 percent at this time of year.”
According to the government, southeast and southwest England experienced their driest period between April and September in over a century.
As of last week, average reservoir water levels across England stood at 54 percent, while the country received only 10 percent of its usual average rainfall in October.
