[Q]

Yesterday I saw a newt on top of a plastic watering can which was floating in a water storage barrel.
The water was about 6inches deep.  There was also a frog in there.  No idea how they got there..
Question is,  should I rescue it?
I was thnking that if I took it out into the grass its very dry and I may be giving it a death sentence.
I didn't disturb it because I guess it will still be there today.
The water barrel will eventually fill up with water but not for some time.

[landroverroy]

It wants rescuing. As does the frog. I'm assuming when you say that the water barrel will eventually fill with water, that at the moment the water is quite a long way down and that neither the frog nor the newt can therefore get out on their own.
If you leave them there, then what will they live on? Also, both frogs and newts do not live in water once they are past the tadpole stage and can actually drown. Good job the watering can was there for them to get onto.
It's a valid point about them drying out this weather, and probably why they sought out the water in your container. Could you put a large brick or stone near the water barrel so they can shelter next to or under it, and keep the area watered?

[devonlady]

Q, did you rescue them?

[landroverroy]

Q, did you rescue them?

Yes, I'd be interested in an update also!
 

[Q]

Thanks for the interest.
Yep - just come back in from getting the little feller out of the barrel ( not my barrel BTW).
He was still sat on the watering can so I lifted it out and he/she took the ride to the nearest tree.  The frog was a bit of a bu@@er to catch but he ended up in the same place. 
There are some stones and general debris around about so they should be ok.

It was a very pale green one so I will have a look later to see what it was.
It was strange seeing a newt which was such a common sight in my childhood.

[Lesley Silvester]

I found a frog trying to get out of my future pond/old bath the other day. He couldn't get out because the sides are too steep so was swimming round trying to find a place. I didn't stand a chance of catching him so I put a plank across the bath and into the water and kept watch. He found it so must have got out but he (or another one) was in it again today. Must get this pond dug in properly.

[Backinwellies]

Frog drowned in on of my sheep water buckets last week ... Very sad....

[Lesley Silvester]

    Poor frog.

[heyhay1984]

I get five or six newts every year, kids find them on the playground then bring them to me to relocate (I think they believe I've got some newt utopia hidden on the school grounds somewhere)

[Baois Glas]

I found a newt in my dogs water bowl yesterday in the house, no idea how it got in!  I took it down to our new duck pond so it had access to the water when it needed it.
I used to keep newts (Asian ones) so it's lovely to be able to handle them again.