Severe Weather Advice

Drought Explained

Droughts are natural events. A drought happens when a period of low rainfall creates a shortage of water for people, the environment, agriculture, or industry. Some droughts are short and intense, for example, a hot, dry summer, while others are long and take some time to develop.

Dry winters can have the biggest impact on water resources. We rely on winter rain to top up groundwater and reservoir levels while summer rain helps to maintain reservoir levels and keep rivers flowing.

The Environment Agency's role is to protect the environment by minimising the impact of drought, while making sure there's enough water for people. They make sure that water companies have effective plans in place to maintain public water supplies during a drought without damaging the environment.

Drought Information

Latest drought information can be found on the Environment Agency Drought pages.

Environment Agency - How a drought could affect you
Environment Agency - Drought Q&A

A water situation report is published monthly and the South East Region drought plan is also available from the Environment Agency website.