Southern Water has become the latest utility firm to announce a hosepipe ban, with almost a million of its customers in southern England hit by the new restrictions.
The hosepipe ban will come into effect in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight from 9am on Monday, the company said in a statement.
Millions of households are already facing water restrictions, with a hosepipe ban implemented in Yorkshire in the face of reservoir storage at only 53.8 per cent.
And embattled utility Thames Water has announced a ban which will begin next Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire.
The Environment Agency has warned that without substantial rain, more bans will follow.
It comes after the driest start to the year since 1976 for England. Reservoir levels are continuing to fall, with storage across the country at 75.6 per cent.
Drought status was declared in the East and West Midlands on Tuesday, meaning the region joins Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, which are already in drought.
Three more areas – Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Anglia, and the Thames area – have also moved into prolonged dry weather status.
Across England, rainfall was 20 per cent less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency said.
Announcing the water ban, Southern Water called on customers to act immediately and avoid a “spike” in demand.
Managing director Tim McMahon apologised to customers and said: “Only by working together can we make sure there’s enough water to go around for customers and the environment.”
Water companies are being told to follow their drought management plans as well as step up work to fix leaks, while the public are also being urged to use water wisely across England and comply with any local restrictions as the dry weather continues to impact water resources nationwide.
Anglers, wild swimmers and boaters are also being urged to report any environmental issues they see, such as fish in distress in low water conditions.
Scientists said the recent extreme conditions have been made more likely due to human-caused climate change, bringing wide-ranging impacts on farmers, who are expected to see lower yields this year, and the environment.
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