Severe drought is declared in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex as millions remain under hosepipe ban after record-breaking summer

A severe drought has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, the Government has announced. 

A statement by the Environment Agency follows a meeting of the National Drought Group, looking into England's water resources and drought conditions.

It comes as millions of people remain under a hosepipe ban following record-breaking temperatures this past summer. 

The South East and South West have experienced their driest April to September for more than a century, affecting reservoirs in those areas, officials said.

As a result, 'severe drought' – in which a lack of water affects daily life and the environment in major ways and can have extensive, lasting effects on farming, people, communities, the economy and nature – has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.

Water companies have been told to step up drought planning, amid efforts to protect public water supplies in the affected areas.

There were warnings earlier this week that hundreds of thousands of people could be left without water this winter following a record-breaking dry spring and summer.

Ardingly Reservoir, which serves 280,000 residents in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, and surrounding areas in East Sussex, has fallen from 22.8 per cent full a week ago to just 20.2 per cent.

Concerns around the water supply grew last month when rainfall was more than 80 per cent lower than average in some areas.

John Halsall, chief executive of South East Water, said supplies in the region are now under 'severe pressure' and standpipes may appear on British streets for the first time in 50 years.

Mr Halsall also ended exemptions to a months-long hosepipe ban in Sussex – with the rules expected to be in place until next year.

However, he admitted his company's efforts to persuade customers to use less water had not been as successful as hoped – with water demand falling by about five per cent rather than around 10 per cent as expected.

Mr Halsall also recognised outages in Tunbridge Wells and other towns and villages had undermined customer confidence.

Meanwhile, the Met Office forecast 'rain, often heavy' in northern England and Wales troday - though it would be 'unseasonably warm across England and Wales' and 'largely dry with sunny spells'.

Rain is expected across central and southern England as well as Wales tonight, before a weekend 'often sunny' but 'feeling chilly, with rural frost likely overnight'.