WATER levels in the giant Wimbleball Lake, on Exmoor, have dropped to a little over one-third full.

This week, it was only slightly higher than at the same time in the drought year of 2022 when it went on to plunge to its lowest ever point of 17.2 per cent full by October.

However, the reservoir quickly recovered and was full again by the end of the year.

Currently, the level stood at 39 per cent of its 21,320 million litres capacity, the lowest but one of all South West Water’s (SWW) major reservoirs.

Only Wistlandpound, on Exmoor’s North Devon border, had a lower volume at 36 per cent of its 1,550 million litres maximum.

It follows the UK’s driest spring in more than 130 years and the warmest summer on record.

Images posted on Wimbleball’s social media pages this week showed bare banks and prompted a warning to visitors.

A spokesperson said: “If you are visiting us soon, please be aware of low water and the deep mud around the lake currently.

“Keep an eye out for signs around the lake

“Stick to the paths, do not wander into the muddy shore areas.

“Bring old shoes if you are going out on the water.

“Also, please keep dogs on leads and away from the water’s edge, those with four legs can get stuck in mud, too.”

The Environment Agency has declared Somerset to be under ‘prolonged dry weather status’, the first official stage of a drought.

SWW said water from its three largest and strategic reservoirs, Colliford, Roadford, and Wimbleball was shared between many of its smaller ones, which was why making sure they were ‘nice and full’ was ‘so important’.

It encouraged people to use water wisely, such as by using a watering can instead of a hose, or taking shorter showers.