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More than two thirds of England is in drought as a dry start to August follows the country’s driest July on record, according to the Environment Agency (EA).
It comes as the UKHSA issues amber heat health alerts for London and the South East from 9am on Tuesday until 9pm on Friday.
Temperatures remain high in the capital, with the mercury tipped to reach 35C on Thursday.
The Met Office is reportedly considering issuing a rare red health alert as hot conditions remain.
On Monday, the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs became the latest areas to move into drought.
The announcement came after a meeting of officials, water companies and farming leaders under the National Drought Group, which warned that all regions of the country are experiencing pressure on their water resources, with impacts on agriculture, public water supplies and the environment.
Last week, the EA announced that half of England had plunged into flash drought – one which develops very quickly because of a combination of very low rainfall and high temperatures – and the latest announcement means 71.3 per cent of the country is in drought.
The North East and Yorkshire have moved to “prolonged dry weather” status, the stage before drought, and nowhere in England is in “normal” status, the EA said.
The latest drought warnings came as parts of the UK braced for the fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to climb into the mid 30Cs later in the week.
This summer has been one of extreme heat and dry conditions, with two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to the deaths of more than 2,800 people, followed by further heatwaves in July.
England had its driest July since records began in 1836, with some areas experiencing no rain for the entire month
In the latest heat spike, amber heat health alerts have been issued for most of England, with officials urging people to take simple steps to stay safe, such as drinking plenty of water, checking on vulnerable friends and family, and avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day.