Summer drought in Britain exposed Bronze Age settlements

A summer drought led to lower water levels at the Fernworthy Reservoir in British Devon, which exposed Bronze Age settlements. Archaeologists have discovered eight stone round houses about 4 thousand years old, as well as stone circles, funerary mounds and coins of the Tudor era, dating back to the 1540s.

According to The Independent, due to the summer heat, the water level in the Fernworthy reservoir fell to about 30% of its capacity. Across the UK, reservoir water levels were around 20% below normal for this season. 12 of the 31 controlled reservoirs are less than half full and 8 are classified as having exceptionally low water levels.

Groundwater levels also continue to decline. It will take months of prolonged wet weather to fully recover, officials said. The UK was hit by five heat waves in the summer, with temperatures consistently breaking records, causing wildfires and drought. The south of England was particularly hard hit.

According to the analysis, although the forecast of wetter weather in the autumn should bring some relief to most drought-affected areas, in Devon, Cornwall and East Anglia, drought is expected to persist by early April 2027.