A severe drought has been declared across parts of southern England after months of low rainfall.

Parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex are affected by the announcement from the Environment Agency, which followed a review of water resources and drought conditions across England by the National Drought Group.

Water supplies have been significantly impacted by high demand following the hottest summer on record.

The government said customer supplies would be uninterrupted and declaring a severe drought “ensures proactive steps are taken to safeguard water before any disruption occurs”.

The government’s plans include:

The government said the change to severe drought status had been prompted by specific concerns for two major reservoirs, Ardingly in West Sussex and Wimbleball in Somerset.

The latest figures, external for Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor show it is at 14.9% capacity, while Ardingly is 19.4% full, external. Other major reservoirs are also low, including Roadford in Devon at 36.8%, Burrator at 33.6%, Colliford in Cornwall at 35% and Stithians at 21.9%.

The Environment Agency has classed Colliford and Wimbleball as having exceptionally low levels, external.

Wimbleball serves about 300,000 properties across east Devon, north Devon, Somerset, west Dorset and West Somerset. Ardingly Reservoir serves 280,000 customers across East and West Sussex.

Severe drought is the highest level of drought that can be declared.

The Environment Agency says it is announced when evidence shows drought is causing, or is likely to cause, serious harm and urgent action is needed to protect people, water supplies, the environment, farming, infrastructure and other essential services.

A severe drought declaration means exceptional action is needed to conserve water and safeguard public supplies.

It does not automatically trigger restrictions or mean a civil emergency, but it does signal a co-ordinated response from government, water companies and other organisations to reduce impacts and support recovery.

For the public, severe drought does not automatically mean new restrictions, although water companies may introduce further measures in affected areas to protect supplies.

People can help by using water more carefully at home and work, such as taking shorter showers, fixing leaks and using appliances efficiently.

The Environment Agency said it expected reservoir storage to be about 75% at this time of the year.

In its latest drought report, external it said reservoir storage had continued to fall at most reservoirs in England.

The agency has granted South East Water a drought permit to reduce the amount of water Ardingly reservoir releases each day to the River Ouse by three million litres.

Separately, it granted a drought permit to South West Water to reduce the amount of water sent to the River Exe each day by nine million litres.

The agency also has concerns about several smaller reservoirs in Devon and Cornwall, including Stithians near Falmouth.

Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said: “Record-breaking summer heat and severe drought have put our water resources under immense pressure.

“Recovery depends on both rainfall and how much water we use. We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now.

“We expect them to follow their drought plans and take the steps needed to secure public water supplies.

“We are also asking everyone to use less water. That will leave more in our rivers and the environment, helping farmers and protecting wildlife and nature.”

The government said the South East and South West had experienced their driest April to September in more than a century, impacting reservoir levels in that area.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this government is stepping up our support and planning.

“We are working closely with water companies to protect public supplies in the areas affected, and I’d continue to urge everyone to think about how they can use water wisely over the coming weeks.”

A hosepipe ban has been in force across Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Dorset and Somerset since 8 August and there is no definite end date.

South West Water said a “prolonged period of hot and dry weather” along with “continuous high demand for water” was behind the ban.

South East Water’s operations director Douglas Whitfield said standpipes remained part of the company’s drought plan but were unlikely to be needed.

Whitfield said a wet winter had been forecast but timings were not clear and the firm was making any adjustments it could to protect supplies.

Whitfield said South East Water, which supplies more than two million customers, said 92 repair crews were out across Sussex and Kent tackling leaks to minimise loss from the network.

Wessex Water, which supplies customers from Wimbleball, introduced its first hosepipe ban in 50 years in August and said the restrictions would remain in place for the foreseeable future.

The water company said it had increased leak repairs, moved water into the area from more resilient sources and adjusted water pressure in some communities to conserve supplies and urged customers to continue using water carefully.

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