- Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel is facing the threat of evacuation and complete closure after water levels dropped to historic lows following an extreme drought, with the region receiving barely 20 per cent of its average 1.5 metres of rainfall.
- Managing director Derek Green warned that the self-sufficient, National Trust-owned island is in a last-chance saloon, taking desperate measures including pumping water from wildlife ponds to treatment plants and removing bath plugs to limit tourist consumption.
- The ongoing water crisis could lead to the unprecedented evacuation of Lundy's 28 permanent residents and farm livestock, alongside the cancellation of holiday bookings, as the seasonal ferry supplying emergency water from the mainland stops running later this month.
- The island, which hosts the largest seabird colony in the South West, previously faced potential closure last year when reservoir levels sank to 33 per cent, demonstrating an escalating pattern of severe water shortages.
- Mr Green emphasised that the impacts of climate change are particularly pronounced on Lundy, calling for urgent action to expand reservoir capacity and enforce stricter water conservation measures ahead of predicted warmer temperatures next year.
IN FULL
