A new hosepipe ban has come into force as forecasters warned parts of the UK could be hit by flooding, with rain set finally to hit drought-stricken land.
Some areas in the country will have the “first meaningful rain for a long time” in the coming days, the Met Office said, after weeks of heatwaves and dry weather have left many areas facing water shortages.
On Tuesday, a hosepipe ban begins for all of Wessex Water’s 1.4 million customers across areas in Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.
It is the first ban the company has put in place for 50 years, since the summer of 1976.
Announcing the temporary restriction, the company cited increased demand during the dry weather but also longer-term weather forecasts that mean resources must be protected for customers and the environment.
More than 27 million people across England have now had hosepipe use restricted in their area.
Following the fifth heatwave of the summer, this week is forecast to be wetter with cooler conditions that are much closer to average for the time of year, the Met Office said.
Showers are expected on Tuesday in the north of the country, particularly in the North West, and another area of rain will move into the South West by the evening, the Met Office’s deputy chief forecaster Mike Silverstone said.
This will then likely spread east across the South, bringing the first spell of widespread rain to areas in need the most, he added.
“Thursday will be a day of heavy showers across much of the UK, while some of these will be heavy some areas will miss them altogether,” Mr Silverstone said.
“As some of these showers could be intense, there is a chance of some surface water flooding as the rain falls on very dry and hard ground.”
By Friday, the conditions are expected to turn drier once again through the weekend before more rain is forecast next week.
The change comes after the UK’s fifth heatwave of the summer, during which the hottest day of the year was recorded in Kew Gardens, London, on Thursday when temperatures reached 38.1C.
The forecast rain may bring some welcome relief to parched land and fire-fighters tackling wildfires.
But it is unlikely to bring an end to widespread drought conditions that have put severe pressure on wildlife, farmers, transport, emergency services infrastructure and water resources.
Among the driest areas in the UK are Wisley in Surrey, which has recorded 61 consecutive dry days since June 17, and Heathrow in Greater London, which has measured 55 consecutive dry days since June 23, according to Met Office data.
Wildfires have ravaged parts of the UK following the hot and dry summer, including in the West Midlands where a blaze in Stourbridge destroyed 19 homes.
Several fire services have asked people to call 999 only to report a genuine emergency.
In an update on Monday, the National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026 so far – a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.
On Friday evening, millions of people in England and Wales received an alert on their mobile devices warning them of a “very high risk of wildfires nationally”.
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