Rapid showers and no flushing toilets: drought pushes Lundy island to the brink
Lundy island in the UK is facing a severe water crisis due to a lack of rainfall, forcing residents to implement strict water rationing. The island's manager attributes the drought to the broader climate emergency affecting the region's weather patterns.
Why it matters
It serves as a localized case study for how climate change is directly impacting infrastructure and habitability in small communities.
Matt Scantlebury, Lundy’s manager, stands in shallow water at Pondsbury pond, one of the island’s freshwater pools. Matt Scantlebury, Lundy’s manager, stands in shallow water at Pondsbury pond, one of the island’s freshwater pools. Devon Rapid showers and no flushing toilets: drought pushes Lundy island to the brink A dry summer has left the Bristol Channel island critically short of water, forcing visitor caps and talk of evacuating its 28 residents
Steven Morris Sun 11 Oct 2026 13.00 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google T om Carr was peering up at the clouds scudding around the island of Lundy , 10 miles off the coast of north Devon. “That one’s definitely got rain in it,” he said. “The mainland will be wet at the moment. And look over at Wales – it’s getting a real soaking just now.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in