Water restrictions predicted for Sydney as likely hot El Niño summer raises ‘red flags’

Sydney’s dams, like the Warragamba Dam, are at 89% capacity but ‘things can turn very quickly’, authorities say, as they predict a hot, dry El Niño summer. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/EPA

After the driest winter in 37 years and with a forecast of El Niño summer, a “series of red flags” have prompted a warning about Sydney’s water use in the months ahead.

Ben Blayney, the head of water supply and production at Sydney Water, said on Monday that greater Sydney dams are at 89% capacity but “things can turn very quickly”.