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Drought declared across Yorkshire

Low water level reservoirs Yorkshire Water

Yorkshire, like many places in the UK, has experienced an usually dry spring

A drought has been declared across Yorkshire by the Environment Agency (EA).

The drought is due to weeks of usually dry weather across the county, which has meant low water levels in rivers and reservoirs.

The announcement comes after England experienced its driest spring in more than 100 years, according to the Met Office.

Yorkshire Water's announcement isn't the first of 2025 - in late May a drought was declared for the North West.

What is a drought?

A drought is defined by the World Health Organisation as a "prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world".

Check out our guide to find out more:

Why is Yorkshire experiencing a drought?

Reservoir near Penistone on a cloudy day showing low levels of water yorkshire water

Levels at reservoirs such as this one near Penistone are significantly below average, Yorkshire Water says

Claire Barrow, the Environment Agency's planning manager for Yorkshire, said: "We had 22 days of almost no recorded rainfall in May."

"While we have had some rain at the start of June, it has not been enough to reverse the impacts of the prolonged dry weather."

Rain is needed to fill up reservoirs that provide water across a certain area.

Whilst the drought announcement doesn't change much right now for those in Yorkshire, if the dry weather continues measures could be put in place to help reduce the amount of water used.

This could include things such as bans on using hosepipes.

child sprays hose Getty Images

Actions such as hose pipe bans could be put in place

Yorkshire's last drought occurred in 2022 - at this time a hosepipe ban was put in place.

The 2022 ban lasted from August to December.

During that drought, Yorkshire Water also made recommendations to customers such as:

  • singing a four minute song whilst showering to keep showers short

  • only cleaning cars' mirrors, windows and lights

  • and not watering garden lawns

Yorkshire Water said that reservoir levels are at 62.3% - which they say is a lot lower than the average for this time of year (85.5%).

But a spokesperson for the company said the reduction in levels had slowed due to some recent rainfall.