England is heading towards a drought this summer unless there is significant rainfall soon, as reservoir water levels dwindle.
The government will on Wednesday convene the National Drought Group of water companies, farming groups and other experts to prepare for what is expected to be a dry summer with potential water shortages.
Scotland has already sounded the alarm over drought in the coming months, issuing an “early warning” of water scarcity in April.
No reservoirs have been built in England for more than 30 years, which leaves the country particularly vulnerable to drought. Reservoir levels are lower than they should be after parts of the country had their driest spring on record, and if the dry weather continues as predicted there may be water shortages leading to hosepipe bans and potentially other forms of rationing.
To avert a drought, there would need to be rainfall at levels last seen in 2012, when record-breaking deluges caused floods across the country, according to the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.
A spokesperson for CIWEM said: “Rainfall totals across much of the British Isles have been low since the start of 2025. This has reduced the amount of recharge and refill possible in groundwater and reservoir resources over the 2024-25 winter, and left water resources below the levels companies would like to see at the start of the spring/summer seasons. The data shows that at present 2025 rainfall is similar to levels last seen in drought events of the last 20 years. It suggests that sustained rainfall, such as that last seen in 2012, would be required to remove the threat of drought this year.”
However, long-term forecasts suggest the conditions are ripe for very warm and dry months ahead. April was the sunniest since records began, with a mean temperature of 9.6C (49.3F) for the UK, 1.7C above average, making it the third warmest April for mean temperature since the series began in 1884. The UK received just over 56% of the rainfall it would usually expect in April and the Thames area has particularly suffered this spring, getting just 13% of the average rainfall.
Butter_the_Toast on
Yet the campaign to stop a reservoir being built near Didcot is vociferous
[deleted] on
[removed]
thercoon on
Your yearly reminder that domestic water use accounts for single percentage points of the total water use in the UK and hosepipe bans are utterly useless and meaningless in the face of eye watering water use by farms and corporations, not to mention the fact that we lose literal billions of litres of water from water leaks from our infrastructure alone.
Once again pushing the issues of the system onto consumers.
Front_Mention on
We had historic floods in November, yet we are already running out of water, this issue is not having suitable reserves for our population.
LordAnubis12 on
We’ve also not built a single new reservoir since privatisation, which goes a long way to be the problem.
Would also be nice if people took all of the discussions of climate risk seriously rather than dismissing it as alarmist.
MidlandPark on
It’s alright, by 40% higher bill to Thames Water will sort it
Honest-Concert7646 on
I mean if there’s a drought then water company revenues will shrink to zero. That’s a problem for someone, isnt it?
barcap on
> England is heading towards a drought this summer unless there is significant rainfall soon, as reservoir water levels dwindle.
> The government will on Wednesday convene the National Drought Group of water companies, farming groups and other experts to prepare for what is expected to be a dry summer with potential water shortages.
Does England have a big dam for power generation and water? It seems that the country can’t cope with a bit of snow, sun, rain or even wind …
iamezekiel1_14 on
Can people stop using ChatGPT to do their homework and fill out job applications and stuff please? Thanks.
iamezekiel1_14 on
Crudely the population has increased by 11 Million or 20% give or take since 1995 when the last reservoire was built. Do the maths. We have a horrific problem here.
Helpful_Moose4466 on
How can we be running out of water when, until this Spring, it barely stopped raining for at least 2 years prior. Not to mention seemingly weeks and weeks of flooding. Where did it all go if not into reservoirs and lakes?
stumperr on
Guess youre going to need some water from us Scots.
Another handout for the English
BirchyBaby on
Yorkshire Water increased their prices by 31% this year to cover their fines and keep their shareholders happy rather than fix the leaks.
Stop blaming the consumer, fix the issues, and tell your shareholders to expect a little less next year. Maybe we can fill the reservoirs with their tears?
FogduckemonGo on
Quite a contrast from the cold and wet of last year. Not surprised with how dry April has been
runtman on
Don’t we see this story every year? Have they built any new reservoirs?
QOTAPOTA on
I walked around several reservoirs at the weekend. And was quite alarmed at how low they were. But then I remembered, it’s not rained much recently. The forecast says it’s not going to rain for the next 12 days either. Oh dear. We need it to rain.
Possiblebronco on
They’ll do what they’ve always done. Steal water from the Welsh.
Billyy0 on
I mean yeah… That’s reservoir levels dropping as they serve their purpose. Plenty of far better reasons to rag on water companies
Every-Switch2264 on
Thanks the Gods there’s no significant water pipes from here to the South
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England is heading towards a drought this summer unless there is significant rainfall soon, as reservoir water levels dwindle.
The government will on Wednesday convene the National Drought Group of water companies, farming groups and other experts to prepare for what is expected to be a dry summer with potential water shortages.
Scotland has already sounded the alarm over drought in the coming months, issuing an “early warning” of water scarcity in April.
No reservoirs have been built in England for more than 30 years, which leaves the country particularly vulnerable to drought. Reservoir levels are lower than they should be after parts of the country had their driest spring on record, and if the dry weather continues as predicted there may be water shortages leading to hosepipe bans and potentially other forms of rationing.
To avert a drought, there would need to be rainfall at levels last seen in 2012, when record-breaking deluges caused floods across the country, according to the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.
A spokesperson for CIWEM said: “Rainfall totals across much of the British Isles have been low since the start of 2025. This has reduced the amount of recharge and refill possible in groundwater and reservoir resources over the 2024-25 winter, and left water resources below the levels companies would like to see at the start of the spring/summer seasons. The data shows that at present 2025 rainfall is similar to levels last seen in drought events of the last 20 years. It suggests that sustained rainfall, such as that last seen in 2012, would be required to remove the threat of drought this year.”
However, long-term forecasts suggest the conditions are ripe for very warm and dry months ahead. April was the sunniest since records began, with a mean temperature of 9.6C (49.3F) for the UK, 1.7C above average, making it the third warmest April for mean temperature since the series began in 1884. The UK received just over 56% of the rainfall it would usually expect in April and the Thames area has particularly suffered this spring, getting just 13% of the average rainfall.
Yet the campaign to stop a reservoir being built near Didcot is vociferous
[removed]
Your yearly reminder that domestic water use accounts for single percentage points of the total water use in the UK and hosepipe bans are utterly useless and meaningless in the face of eye watering water use by farms and corporations, not to mention the fact that we lose literal billions of litres of water from water leaks from our infrastructure alone.
Once again pushing the issues of the system onto consumers.
We had historic floods in November, yet we are already running out of water, this issue is not having suitable reserves for our population.
We’ve also not built a single new reservoir since privatisation, which goes a long way to be the problem.
Would also be nice if people took all of the discussions of climate risk seriously rather than dismissing it as alarmist.
It’s alright, by 40% higher bill to Thames Water will sort it
I mean if there’s a drought then water company revenues will shrink to zero. That’s a problem for someone, isnt it?
> England is heading towards a drought this summer unless there is significant rainfall soon, as reservoir water levels dwindle.
> The government will on Wednesday convene the National Drought Group of water companies, farming groups and other experts to prepare for what is expected to be a dry summer with potential water shortages.
Does England have a big dam for power generation and water? It seems that the country can’t cope with a bit of snow, sun, rain or even wind …
Can people stop using ChatGPT to do their homework and fill out job applications and stuff please? Thanks.
Crudely the population has increased by 11 Million or 20% give or take since 1995 when the last reservoire was built. Do the maths. We have a horrific problem here.
How can we be running out of water when, until this Spring, it barely stopped raining for at least 2 years prior. Not to mention seemingly weeks and weeks of flooding. Where did it all go if not into reservoirs and lakes?
Guess youre going to need some water from us Scots.
Another handout for the English
Yorkshire Water increased their prices by 31% this year to cover their fines and keep their shareholders happy rather than fix the leaks.
Stop blaming the consumer, fix the issues, and tell your shareholders to expect a little less next year. Maybe we can fill the reservoirs with their tears?
Quite a contrast from the cold and wet of last year. Not surprised with how dry April has been
Don’t we see this story every year? Have they built any new reservoirs?
I walked around several reservoirs at the weekend. And was quite alarmed at how low they were. But then I remembered, it’s not rained much recently. The forecast says it’s not going to rain for the next 12 days either. Oh dear. We need it to rain.
They’ll do what they’ve always done. Steal water from the Welsh.
I mean yeah… That’s reservoir levels dropping as they serve their purpose. Plenty of far better reasons to rag on water companies
Thanks the Gods there’s no significant water pipes from here to the South