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A hosepipe ban has been announced for Kent and Sussex after southern England recorded its driest July on record.
South East Water became the latest company to announce water restrictions, which will come into effect on Friday 12 August and remain in place until further notice.
Millions of people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had already faced a hosepipe ban from 5 August.
The bans come after England's driest July since 1935, and the driest on record for southeast and southern England.
Southeast England has recorded only 8 per cent of average rainfall in July, the Met Office said on Monday, and the longterm forecast for August and September is similar.
People in Kent and Sussex will no longer be allowed to use a hosepipe to water a garden, clean a car us, fill a swimming or paddling pool among other activities.
If someone is found to have broken one of the rules they could be liable to pay a fine of up to £1,000, according to South East Water's website.
Commenting on the decision to impose hosepipe bans, South East Water, said: "This has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK.
"Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976. During July in the South East, we have only seen eight percent of average rainfall for the month, and the long term forecast for August and September is for similar weather.
"The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the Covid lockdown heatwave. We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily.
"We have been left with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers from 0001 on Friday August 12 within our Kent and Sussex supply area until further notice.
"We are taking this step to ensure we have enough water for both essential use and to protect the environment. This will enable us to also reduce the amount of water we need to take from already stressed local water sources."
Britain may be on the verge of the worst drought since 1976, with more strict hosepipe bans likely if the hot and dry weather continues.
The country is not yet in widespread drought, but most of England except for the northwest has moved into a state of "prolonged dry weather", the step before drought is declared.
Low groundwater levels, dry soils and low reservoirs have also been seen following months of below average rainfall, and last month's record-breaking heatwave put extra pressure on water resources, Chiara Giordano writes.
Read more:
UK 'on verge of worst drought since 1976' with strict hosepipe ban possible
A hosepipe ban has been announced for Kent and Sussex after southern England recorded its driest July on record.
It comes as climate scientists have warned that as greenhouse gases continue to heat the planet, the UK could see warmer and drier and summers and wetter winters.
South East Water became the latest company to announce water restrictions, which will come into effect on Friday 12 August and remain in place until further notice.
Millions of people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had already faced a hosepipe ban from 5 August.
The bans come after England's driest July since 1935, and the driest on record for southeast and southern England.
Hosepipe ban to be imposed in Kent and Sussex