Severe drought declared in parts of six English counties

The Environment Agency declared severe drought on 15 October 2026 for parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, after the driest April to September in over a century depleted local reservoir levels¹. The government confirmed the declaration in its weekly drought summary for 9 to 15 October, which also records that the Yorkshire area moved into drought status on 9 October². Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service described the south west reaching the "severe" category as "a UK first"³.

Severe drought is the highest level of drought that can be declared, and is used when evidence shows drought is causing, or will soon cause, serious harm, and emergency action is needed to protect people, water supplies, the environment, farming, infrastructure or other critical services¹. The Agency states that severe drought does not automatically trigger restrictions and is not a civil emergency¹. The usual seasonal rainfall has yet to arrive and 82% of England remains in drought¹. To recover in some areas, 120% of typical rainfall is needed over the next six months¹.

The declaration centres on two reservoirs: Ardingly in West Sussex and Wimbleball in Somerset. The Agency also names concerns for smaller South West Water reservoirs serving homes in south Devon and west Cornwall: Drift, Stithians, Tottiford and Venford¹. National reservoir storage stood at 54% of capacity in the week ending 13 October, around 21% below the long-term average, with 18 reservoir groups less than 50% full and 11 classed as exceptionally low². Rainfall for October to date ranged from 18% of the long-term average in south-east and south-west England to 41% in the north-west; England as a whole had received 26%².

Why it matters for households

The Agency states the severe drought declaration covers the homes and businesses served by the two reservoirs, and advises households to check with their water company to find out if they are affected¹. In affected areas, the Agency says the water company may introduce further water-saving measures to protect supply, which could include taking more water from the environment and limiting some business use¹. It lists household steps including shorter showers, fixing leaks, careful garden watering, eco settings on dishwashers and washing machines, avoiding pre-rinsing dishes, low-flow shower heads, cistern displacement devices, filling machines to their recommended load, water butts and turning off taps when brushing teeth¹.

South East Water, which operates Ardingly reservoir, says further hosepipe restrictions took effect in Sussex from 9 October 2026, with all exemptions removed so customers can use a hosepipe only where permitted for health, safety or welfare purposes⁴. It has applied for a Non-Essential Use Ban in Sussex, which would restrict certain commercial and non-household uses if approved and implemented⁴. A Temporary Use Ban is in force across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire; in Kent it came into force from 00:01 on Friday 3 July 2026, and in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire from 00:01 on Saturday 25 July 2026⁵. The company says Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire had not been placed in temporary restrictions for 14 years, since 2012⁵.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says it has stopped using mains water during drill nights and for training that does not involve live fire, and limited vehicle washing to what is essential for safe operations, such as cleaning windscreens and blue lights³. It reports that wildfire risk remains high and that tackling such fires can require vast amounts of water³. Its Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Gerald Taylor, said: "Every drop of water matters during periods of prolonged dry weather"³. The service asks people to avoid lighting fires, campfires or disposable barbecues in the countryside, to stay with any barbecue or fire pit at all times, never to discard cigarettes or matches onto dry grass, to report fires early by calling 999, and to use water wisely at home and follow any advice from their water supplier³.

The Agency says it is increasing its scrutiny of water companies to make sure they stick to their statutory drought plans, with more monitoring, more checks and faster processing of permit applications, and is using regulatory discretion to give priority to protecting public water supply in specified severe drought areas¹. It says it is working closely with Defra and the affected water companies, including an enhanced incident response¹.

What happens next

The Agency says further dry weather is expected for the rest of October, and that without sufficient autumn rainfall and continued intervention measures there is an increasing risk to water supplies¹. It says it will not hesitate to take the action needed to protect water supplies until enough rain brings recovery, and continues to monitor conditions with partners and the government¹. The fire service says that with no expected rain on the horizon, pressure on water supplies is likely to continue³. South East Water says it has started an accelerated six-month programme of operational changes and engineering works to reduce the risk of supply interruptions⁴.

The current drought situation in England is set out in our guide, with an explanation of how drought is declared and what each stage means. Our household guide to heatwaves and drought covers practical preparation, and water company drought plans explains what the companies say and how households can respond.