Thousands of homes in Sussex have been left without water as temperatures soar across the county.

South East Water customers in Newhaven and Peacehaven are without supply or with low water pressure after two bursts on the network.

Teams are working to fix the issue, with a bottled water station opening at The Hub in Piddinghoe Avenue, Peacehaven, from 9.30am.

In a message to residents, MP for Brighton Kemptown - which also covers Peacehaven, urged residents to check in on vulnerable neighbours and “get them water if needed”.


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A spokesman for South East Water said engineers worked overnight to restore water supplies in the BN9 and BN10 postcode areas.

He said: “In the last 24 hours, we have seen two bursts on our network in the area.

“The first burst was fixed, and the second occurred overnight on a larger main. The result of this is that water in the two fresh drinking water storage tanks which serve these communities have run low.

“We are working hard to re-route water around our network to keep as many customers in supply as possible and are working to repair the burst main.”

Another bottled water station is also expected to open in Newhaven - the location of which has yet to be announced by the water company.

The outage comes as an amber heat-health alert remains in place for the entire county and the rest of the south east of England, as temperatures reach close to 30C in some places.

The warning, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), indicates that the warm weather could lead to “some health impacts across the wider population, not just the most vulnerable”.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “Forecasted temperatures will primarily impact those over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

“If you have friends, family or neighbours who you know are more vulnerable to the effects of hot weather, it is important you check in on them and ensure they are following the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.”