While unsettled, wet and windier weather has arrived with September, England is still facing a scarcity of water. During the meeting on Monday, the national drought group heard that reservoirs fell by 1.4 per cent last week. They are now 56.1 per cent full on average across England, compared with the average of 82.8 per cent for this time of year. A drought is only over when groundwater, river and reservoir levels are fully replenished. This means flooding during a drought is possible, including flash floods as dry soils struggle to soak up intense downpours.