Drought announced across South West after driest conditions in 90 years

The dried out greens and fairways of Ashton Court Golf Course, near Bristol
The dried out greens and fairways of Ashton Court Golf Course, near Bristol Credit: PA

The whole of the South West of England has been moved into drought status.

The Environment Agency has today (30 August) moved Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, South Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire into drought status.

It had already been declared in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with hosepipe bans in place in parts of the area. 

Gloucestershire is the only part of the wider region where drought has not been declared, but Thames Water has declared a hosepipe ban in the east of the county.

The source of the River Thames in Gloucestershire has also dried up entirely due to the prolonged period of hot weather.

The Environment Agency’s area drought lead Chris Paul said: “Despite some heavy rain over the past two weeks, it has not been enough to refill our rivers and aquifers.

"River levels across our Wessex area are exceptionally low - many showing the lowest flows on record. This places incredible strain on local wildlife and this is why we are moving to drought status.  We are prioritising our local operations to minimise impacts on the environment.“

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