Tiny UK island with just 28 residents saved from evacuation after torrential rain
Lundy Island was on the brink of closing due to dwindling water supplies, but heavy rain from Storm Austen has rescued the isle
The 28 residents who call Lundy Island home have escaped evacuation after torrential rains topped up their dwindling water supply.
Located in the Bristol Channel, Lundy Island had been cast into drought following the UK’s hottest and driest summer on record. Reservoir levels on the remote isle – which is just 3.1 miles long – dropped to just 13 per cent earlier this year, resulting in emergency shipments of water from the mainland.
The first delivery from passenger ferry MS Oldenburg , carried around 67,000 litres, and cost about £7,000.
Famed for its puffins and rugged cliffs, Lundy Island – which is owned by the National Trust – was on the cusp of being closed. Staff had even resorted to pumping water from ponds used by wildlife.
Water restrictions were introduced for residents and visitors, with plugs removed from baths to stop tourists from using too much water. The island’s pub, The Tavern, also closed its toilets to conserve water supplies.
Storm Austen, which battered the UK with strong gusts and heavy rains, then left visitors stranded – as ferry crossing and helicopter flights were grounded. However, the adverse weather conditions also provided the island with a much-needed lifeline.
The first named storm of the season dumped enough rain to increase its water supply by 20 per cent – a 40 per cent increase compared to its lowest amount four weeks ago.
“The storm has been good news for our water supply," Island manager Matt Scantlebury. "In 48 hours, we captured more than 100,000 litres of water and our tanks are now up to a healthy-looking 53 per cent full.”
Mr Scabtlebury said the effects of climate change were more "pronounced on Lundy" and islanders needed to adapt.
"Forecasters are predicting it will be even warmer next year,” he added. "We've got to learn from this and be better prepared next year in terms of increasing the reservoir here.
"People need to learn to use a little less water over the winter. It's a sharp learning curve for us and the wider region."
