Tens of thousands of Britons have been warned to restrict their water use as the UK is set to face its fourth heatwave.
South East Water (SEW) has informed its customers in Sussex that water reservoirs in the area are “falling quicker and earlier than usual”.
A hosepipe ban has already been put in place in Sussex and Kent earlier this summer.
Now, SEW have said they are tracking water supplies in parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire to monitor whether more restrictions are necessary.
A spokesman for the water company said: “Our surface water reservoirs, Ardingly and Arlington, are an important source of water and are falling quicker and earlier than usual.
“Most of the water in them is taken from the nearby rivers, whose flow is much lower than normal because of multiple heatwaves.
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PICTURED: Ardingly reservoir during the drought of 2022
“The reservoirs have not been this low at this time of year since the drought of 2022 and, with more warm weather due very soon, we’re asking people to protect resources and keep water use around the home to essential purposes only.”
Currently, more than 8.5 million households in the UK are under hosepipe bans.
Alongside SEW, Southern Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water have also implemented hosepipe bans which came into effect after warm weather in July.
Now, a yellow health alert has been issued for large parts of the UK for the coming week, as temperatures are set to soar past 30C.
EXTREME WEATHER – READ MORE:
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Currently, more than 8.5 million households in the UK are under hosepipe bans
The UK Health Security Agency heat warning is in place from 12om on Monday until 6pm on Wednesday, and cautions “significant impacts” across health and social care services.
This alert covers Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the East of England, the South East and the South West.
Steven Keates, from the Met Office, said: “We’re confident that temperatures will increase markedly by the start of next week, reaching the low 30s Celsius in parts of England on Monday and perhaps the mid-30s in a few places on Tuesday.
“However, the length of this warm spell is still uncertain, and it is possible that high temperatures could persist into next week, particularly in the south.”
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A yellow health alert has been issued for large parts of the UK for the coming week
This will be the fourth heatwave this year after one in June and two in July.
In order for authorities to classify it a heatwave, a location must record a period of at least three consecutive days with a daily maximum temperature meeting or exceeding the threshold.
The threshold varies depending on the area, from 25C in Scotland to 28C in London.
