EUROPE'S hottest summer for 500 years has left the region's reservoirs seriously depleted.

Even heavy rains in the past few days have failed to make a mark after weeks of dry weather and sunshine.

Reservoirs in upper Teesdale have even become something of a tourist attraction for people curious to know what lies beneath the waters.

Huge craters have appeared in parched earth that is normally several feet below the waterline.

But North-East water chiefs said the drought would not affect supplies, because of back-up reserves.

Northumbrian Water spokesman Alistair Baker said the summer had been a particularly hot, dry one, meaning some of its 22 reservoirs were less full than normal.

But the biggest, Kielder, which is 27 miles around the shore and normally contains 44,000 million gallons, or 200,000 million litres, of water, is still three-quarters full.

Mr Baker said: "A few are down but we do not anticipate any supply problems.

"Since Kielder came on line in 1982, we have never had hosepipe bans.

"By managing our water supply throughout the region, we are able to maintain and ensure customers' supply."

Some of the depleted reservoirs are being cordoned off to prevent people going on to the exposed beds

Mr Baker said: "There is no swimming in the reservoirs anyway, but we are asking people in some reservoirs not to wade.

"It is quite dangerous mud. People should be very careful near reservoirs because the mud can be very soft and can hold you in."

Mr Baker said the rainfall over the past week would have had little impact.

He said: "However heavy you see it raining, when it has been dry for a long period of time, the earth is like a giant sponge.

"It takes a serious amount of rain to get the water flowing back into the reservoirs in any significant volume."

Researchers in Germany, have said 2003 was the hottest summer for 500 years.

The average temperature in Europe was 19.5C, two degrees higher than the average summer temperatures between 1901 and 1995.

Researchers pieced together a picture of Europe's weather before the 19th Century using physics, chemistry and the writings of monks.

Ken Scott, from the Met Office, said figures for Newcastle showed there was 83mm of rain in June, 34mm in July and 15mm in August.

The average figures for those months are 53mm for June, 46m for July and 61mm for August.

The National Farmers' Union said the drought was not expected to affect the supply of most fruit and vegetables, though the wheat harvest was down nationally by nine per cent.

Apples over the next few months will be sweeter, as lack of water increases the sugar content.