We must save water as drought becomes new normal, says minister

The government has warned action is needed to prevent water shortages becoming "the norm" after severe drought was declared across parts of southern England.

Water and flooding minister Emma Hardy told MPs current drought conditions were "something we have not experienced for decades" and urged people to "think about ways to use water wisely over the coming weeks".

Severe drought was declared across parts of southern England on Thursday after months of low rainfall, with around 50 million people now impacted.

Parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex are all affected by the move announced by the Environment Agency.

The government said supplies would not be interrupted but declaring severe drought would ensure "proactive steps are taken to safeguard water before any disruption occurs".

Speaking in the House of Commons, Hardy said the measures were down to "exceptionally low rainfall" and depleted reservoir levels.

The minister noted Yorkshire also moved into drought status last week.

"That means over 80% of England is now in drought, affecting around 50 million people," she said.

"The South East and South West, in particular, have experienced their driest April to September in over a century.

"While the record-breaking heat and lack of rainfall have put our water resources under immense this year, we must take action now to prevent this situation becoming the norm."

Robbie Moore, shadow minister for environment, food and rural affairs, accused the government of being "slow to react" to the conditions.

"This is the third drought in five years, it should not have caught the government off guard," he told MPs.

Hardy insisted "we know that this the new normal when it comes to our weather", adding: "This is exactly why we are preparing for it."