Impose more hosepipe bans, environment sec urges ahead of mid-30C temperatures

7 August 2022, 14:38 | Updated: 7 August 2022, 14:46

More hosepipe bans should be put in place, the environment secretary has said ahead of another heatwave.

Parts of the south and south-east of England were forecast to enjoy highs of 27C and 28C, while the Met Office said the mercury could climb to the mid-30Cs before the end of the week.

George Eustice, the environment secretary, urged water companies to follow bans already imposed for Southern Water's customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and South East Water's ban in Kent and Sussex.

A Welsh Water ban is also being implemented in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire later in August.

"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," Mr Eustice wrote in The Telegraph.

"I strongly urge others to do the same."

His comment is the first public intervention by a minister. Hosepipe bans restrict their use when watering gardens, washing cars or filling pools.

A spokesperson for industry body Water UK said: "Every company has a drought plan in place, agreed with the Ministers and the Environment Agency. These set out specific triggers for activating different levels of response (including hosepipe bans).

"Government decided that it should be up to water companies to take the final judgment on when each plan's action triggers have been met.

Read more: Fresh hosepipe ban for Kent and Sussex after 'extreme weather conditions' triggers record dry spell

"In making those judgments, companies use specific indicators and criteria set out in the plans agreed with government.”

They added: "But reducing demand is just one way that companies are helping the environment - for example, they have also been sending pulses of cold water from reservoirs to rehydrate and cool down rivers to protect fish (especially salmon stocks), and are choosing their sources of water in a way that tries to alleviate as much pressure as possible on hot-spot areas of low river flows."

Brits have been urged to avoid the sun at midday and keep to the shade, with dry weather looking set to last for between a week and 10 days.

The Met Office said at the end of last week: "An area of high pressure building from the Atlantic into the south and south west of England will bring rising temperatures with some areas expected to reach low or even mid 30sC by the end of next week."

Met Office chief forecaster Steve Willington said: "We could see parts of the UK entering heatwave conditions if the above-average temperatures last for three days or more.

"Many areas of the UK, especially the south will witness temperatures several degrees higher than average, but these values are likely to be well below the record-breaking temperatures we saw in mid-July."