Dramatic photos show Leeds' Lindley Wood Reservoir on the verge of totally drying up
Dramatic photos and footage show a Leeds reservoir on the verge of totally drying up - leaving just a bed of cracked mud.
A rare danger-to-life warning is in place for the city as the heat causes trains to be cancelled and some schools to close.
And a Leeds beauty spot has dried up so severely that mudbeds have been exposed and left deep cracks appearing in a desert-like landscape.
The exposed mudbeds were captured by Yorkshire Evening Post photographer James Hardisty at Lindley Wood Reservoir, near Otley, on Monday.
Yorkshire Water has said that Lindley Wood is a compensation reservoir, which means it is not linked to the supply of water to homes, but is there to take excess water from Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs nearby.
A spokesman said: "In weather such as we’re having at the moment we don’t send water to Lindley Wood to ensure it remains available for supply to our customers."
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The exposed mudbeds at Lindley Wood Reservoir, near Otley, on Monday
Photo: James Hardisty
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It is in stark contrast to the usual sight of them full to the brim with millions of gallons of water and comes as health experts have urged Brits to keep hydrated in the heat.
Photo: James Hardisty
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Yorkshire Water has urged people to stay out of its reservoir as temperatures heat up
Photo: James Hardisty