- South East Water has issued a red alert and has asked its customers to pause all hose use. The warning covers Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Sussex (both East and West).
- The company treated 644 million litres of water on Sunday, exceeding the June average by 56 million litres as temperatures began to rise.
- Wessex Water, covering Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, most of Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire, has urged its customers to limit their use.
- Helen Wakeham, National Drought Group chair and director of water at the Environment Agency, said: “While many of us enjoy the hot weather, we ask everyone to be mindful of their water use. Every drop saved leaves more available for farmers, our local rivers and wildlife.”
- The UK is forecast to experience a severe heatwave, with potential record-breaking temperatures of up to 40C in some areas.
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