Environment Agency sounds alarm as reservoir levels plummet to just 62% – with 500 rare crayfish evacuated to safety and canals CLOSED to save water
Yorkshire has been officially declared a drought zone after enduring its driest spring since 1893, with desperate water bosses warning that hosepipe bans could be slapped on millions of residents unless “significant rainfall” arrives soon.
The Environment Agency delivered the devastating news on Thursday, confirming that “God’s Own Country” has shifted from “prolonged dry weather” to full drought status – becoming the second region in England to reach crisis point after the North West was declared a disaster zone last month.
In a stark warning to Yorkshire’s five million residents, water company chiefs revealed that reservoir levels have plummeted to just 62.3% – a shocking 23% below normal for this time of year – after the county endured an astonishing 22 days with virtually NO rain in May.
Record-breaking weather disaster
The numbers paint a grim picture of Yorkshire’s water crisis:
- West Yorkshire received just 40% of normal rainfall from March to May
- North Yorkshire saw only 43% of average precipitation
- East and South Yorkshire fared no better at 40% and 41% respectively
- Sheffield endured 27 consecutive days without a single drop of rain
- Some areas recorded just three inches of rain from February to April – the lowest since 1938
- Spring 2025 was Yorkshire’s HOTTEST since records began in 1884
Claire Barrow, the Environment Agency’s Yorkshire manager, didn’t mince words: “Our climate is changing, and 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.”
Hosepipe ban threat looms
Yorkshire Water’s director Dave Kaye delivered a chilling message to customers: “Without significant rainfall in the coming months, temporary usage restrictions are a possibility.
The company has already deployed 100 extra workers to tackle the leakage crisis, desperately trying to preserve every drop as the region teeters on the brink of water rationing that could affect everything from car washing to garden watering.
“We’ve seen water demand decrease in recent weeks thanks to the welcome rainfall and the efforts of our customers to save water,” Kaye said, before adding the ominous caveat that this won’t be enough without Mother Nature’s help.
Wildlife catastrophe unfolds
The drought has triggered an environmental emergency across Yorkshire, with devastating impacts on the region’s wildlife:
- 500 rare white-clawed crayfish have been evacuated to safer waters as their habitats dry up
- Fish are dying in record numbers as oxygen levels plummet in shrinking rivers
- Toxic algal blooms are exploding across waterways
- Multiple wildfires have ravaged the Pennine moorland, including major blazes at Marsden Moor, Wessenden, and Rishworth Moor
The Canal & River Trust has been forced to impose emergency closures across Yorkshire’s historic waterway network, with boaters banned from using locks on stretches of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in a desperate bid to preserve water levels.
We’ve had to ask boaters to temporarily stop using locks along stretches of a small number of canals, to help conserve water to keep boats afloat and protect wildlife,” a Trust spokesperson confirmed.
Government promises action
Water Minister Emma Hardy vowed to hold Yorkshire Water’s feet to the fire: “I am receiving regular updates from the Environment Agency. I’m doing everything in my power to hold Yorkshire Water to account to ensure we have the regular supply of water that is needed across the region.
The government claims it’s taking “decisive action” with plans to build nine new reservoirs and upgrade pipes to slash leakage by 17% – though critics question whether these measures will arrive in time to prevent a full-blown water crisis.
Expert warnings: ‘Water no longer abundant’
Dr Jess Neumann, associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, delivered a sobering assessment: “An unseasonably dry spring, the driest in nearly 90 years, means many reservoir levels are only 60-65% full, well below the 80-85% average for this time of year.
She warned that the dual drought declarations across northern England “raise important questions about the security of our water in the long term.
“It is no longer abundant and plentiful. We urgently need to adjust to a future of climate change and water stress,” Dr Neumann cautioned.
What the drought means for YOU
While the drought declaration doesn’t immediately change daily life for Yorkshire residents, it triggers enhanced monitoring and emergency protocols that could quickly escalate to include:
- Hosepipe bans preventing garden watering, car washing, and pool filling
- Fines up to £1,000 for breaking water restrictions
- Pressure reduction in water supplies
- Potential restrictions on non-essential business water use
Yorkshire Water has activated its full drought plan, with bosses describing the situation as the result of “the driest February, March and April in Yorkshire for almost 90 years.
A region on the brink
As Yorkshire joins the North West in official drought status, three more regions – the North East, East Midlands, and West Midlands – are teetering on the edge with “prolonged dry weather” warnings.
England has just endured its driest spring in 132 years, with only 1893 recording less rainfall. The last time Yorkshire faced such severe drought conditions was in 2022, when hosepipe bans were enforced across the county.
With climate scientists warning that such extreme weather events will become increasingly common, Yorkshire’s water crisis could be a terrifying glimpse into Britain’s drier, hotter future.
For now, five million Yorkshire residents can only watch the skies and pray for the “significant rainfall” that water bosses say is desperately needed to avert a full-scale water catastrophe in God’s Own Country.
