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.
