Drought officially declared across Sussex
The National Drought Group says it also covers parts of the South West, East and central England.
A drought has been declared for parts of England - including across all of Sussex - following the driest summer for 50 years.
The conditions, which have almost completely deprived some areas of rainfall all summer, have prompted the National Drought Group to move parts of the South West, parts of southern and central England, and the East of England into official drought status.
Among the areas covered are Kent, South London and East Sussex, and the Solent and the South Downs region, which covers all of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex.
A hosepipe ban came into force at midnight for South East Water customers in East Sussex - but more water-saving measures could be introduced.
However, the Environment Agency has reassured the public that essential water supplies are safe.
The NDG is made up of representatives from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), water companies, the Environment Agency (EA), the National Farmers' Union (NFU), Natural England, Consumer Council for Water, water services regulator Ofwat, Water UK and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, as well as the Angling Trust and the Rivers Trust.
Eight of 14 areas designated by the EA have now moved to "drought", the second stage, including Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and South London, Herts and North London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and East Midlands.
It comes after the driest July on record for some areas and the driest first half of the year since 1976.
The total stock of water in England's reservoirs at the end of July was 65% of its normal capacity - the lowest level for that point in the calendar year since 1995, the EA said.
More than two-thirds of reservoirs or groups of reservoirs in England saw their stock of water drop by more than 10% between the end of June and the end of July.