Startling drone images show a shrinking Burrator reservoir less than half full as the heatwave continues.

With no rain in sight, the drone shots reveal the reservoir is shrinking day by day, with water levels currently at just 44.6%.

Last month temperatures hit 40.2 degrees Celsius in parts of the UK and red extreme heat national severe weather warnings were issued.

The diminishing water volumes come as the heat set to continue into next weekend, with no rain expected for a few weeks.

Water levels at Burrator are already at its lowest in decades, and Dartmoor locals believe the drought will bring about the remains of historic buildings flooded at the time, which they expect to emerge from the depths.

It is believed that a whole village was submerged at Burrator when the land was flooded to create the reservoir at the end of the 19th century.

People’s homes, farms, a bridge and a road were submerged under the water to make Burrator reservoir, which opened in 1898 tp provide a water supply for Plymouth.

Recent reservoir visitors have been sharing pictures online of the low levels around the edge, revealing land that was submerged more than a century ago.

According to South West Water, the reservoir was less than half full at the end of July, at 44.6 per cent of capacity.

In July 2018, it dropped to 48.5 per cent, and pictures at the time showed the ruined remains of a previously sunken wall as the water receded.

A spokesperson for the company said: ‘We closely monitor our reservoirs all year round to ensure we have enough water for all our customers and the region’s visitors as people come to enjoy the beautiful South West over the summer months.

‘We are confident that we have sufficient water stored in our reservoirs but we always ask customers to think about their water usage to not just help save water but also help keep bills down.’