Hosepipes should be banned, the Environment Secretary has urged water companies, as Britain is forecast to bake in temperatures of up to 28C today amid an unusually dry August. George Eustice said some firms have already “rightly” taken action to mitigate the effects of the prolonged dry weather as he encouraged others to follow suit.
His remarks, the first public intervention by ministers, signal possible restrictions on watering gardens, washing cars or filling pools with hosepipes for millions more people across southern England in the coming days. It comes as forecasters predict the warm weather will continue for most of the UK into next week, when conditions will stay dry and settled with little rain or wind.
Southern Water has already imposed a hosepipe ban for customers in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, while the measure will follow for South East Water customers in Kent and Sussex. Welsh Water has also announced a ban for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire later this month.
Mr Eustice wrote in The Sunday Telegraph: “In accordance with their drought plans, water companies across the country have rightly taken action to mitigate the effects of this prolonged dry weather using the range of tools available to them. I strongly urge others to do the same”.
Meteorologists have urged people to avoid the midday sun and stay in the shade as the sizzling weather looks set to last another seven to 10 days. Highs of 27C and 28C are expected to hit parts of south and south-east England today, with sunny spells forecast throughout the day for most of the country.
The west of Scotland may see some rain, but will also experience patches of clear sky, according to forecasters. Met Office senior meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “England and Wales will be dry with sunny spells (on Sunday).
“Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland will be cloudier with a risk of some patchy rain largely across the west of Scotland but there will be sunny spells across Northern Ireland. Maximum temperatures will be around 27 and possibly 28C which would be across central and southern and south-east England area.
“It will still be in the sun further north. Even to the east of Scotland we might see 23C.”
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