By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-10-02 10:17:45 | Updated at 2026-10-02 13:34:59
4 hours ago
Thousands of households across Sussex are facing tightened water restrictions after a hosepipe ban was extended, with water bosses warning drought conditions could continue into 2027.
South East Water said the ban, which covers all of its customers who were previously exempt, comes into effect from today.
Ardingly Reservoir, supplying around 228,000 customers in Haywards Heath and surrounding communities, has dropped to just 22.8 per cent of its capacity.
The water company said the move was essential to "protect water supplies and the environment in Sussex".
A temporary ban on hosepipe use had already been imposed across much of the South East earlier in the summer, but worsening drought conditions have forced the utility to widen its scope.
Nick Price, Head of Water Resources at South East Water, said the company's "absolute priority is making sure there is always enough water for everyone's essential daily needs".
He pointed to months of warm, dry conditions that have parched the soil and sapped local waterways.
Mr Price added: "The prolonged period of warm and dry weather we have experienced during the spring and summer has made the ground very dry and reduced flows in local streams and rivers," he said.
South East Water has issued the ban
PA
He stressed significant rainfall was needed to penetrate deep into underground aquifers and replenish the reservoirs and rivers that provide drinking water.
Mr Price added: "These conditions have resulted in the water levels of our Sussex reservoirs becoming extremely low, especially Ardingly, which has moved further into drought."
Meanwhile, Anglian Water, which supplies services to around seven million customers across eastern England has warned drought conditions are likely to carry on into next year,
Water resources manager Laura Tuplin told the BBC: "We're not at panic stations (but) it's really difficult to tell how long this will go on for, but it will be for the foreseeable future and yes, maybe next year."
Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex during the drought of 2022
PA
The ongoing drought raises uncomfortable questions about when relief might arrive.
Despite rain lashing parts of Scotland and northern England on Friday, the south and east of England remain stubbornly dry, and this weekend's forecast offers little comfort for water-stressed communities in Sussex hoping for a meaningful downpour to begin refilling depleted supplies.
Indeed, Met Office forecasts show temperatures across much of southern and eastern England climbing to a balmy 22C by Sunday afternoon, with 45 areas, including London, Cambridge, Norwich, Reading and Northampton, set to bask in unseasonably warm autumn sunshine.
The forecaster's outlook for the weekend predicted "windy with some rain in the north, largely fine and rather warm further south".
Heavy rain is sadly set to miss the south east
WXCHARTS
While Scotland and Northern Ireland face wet and blustery conditions on Friday, with particularly heavy downpours expected over southwest Scotland and Cumbria, the rain is sadly unlikely to reach the drought-hit South East.
Wales may see weekend highs of 19C, with Scotland and Northern Ireland peaking at 18C, but crucially, the showers remain far from where they are most desperately needed.
Looking further ahead, forecasters warn that conditions could turn markedly more unsettled by Friday, October 9, when WXCharts maps indicate a vast 551-mile band of rain sweeping from Scotland down to Devon.
Temperatures are expected to fall sharply after the recent warm spell, with lows of 10C across large parts of the country and potential overnight frost in the Scottish Highlands, cold enough, even, for snow in parts of Scotland.
Yet the Met Office's longer-range outlook suggests the heaviest rain and strongest winds will remain "mainly focused across the northwest, while southern areas see more in the way of dry weather".
