Severe drought declared in parts of southern England

Severe drought has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, the government has said.

The South East and South West had their driest April to September in over a century, a statement said.

Water supplies won't be affected but water companies will be told to conduct daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels and carry out tougher water quality monitoring.

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(c) Sky News 2026: Severe drought declared in parts of southern England