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Millions of households have been hit with hosepipe bans as a third heatwave takes a hold on the UK.
Temperatures in London climbed to 34C on Thursday with the Met Office forecasting daily highs no lower than 29C until the end of next week.
But as the mercury rises, concerns have grown about drought conditions with no sign of rain until late next week.
Water companies are now keeping a watchful eye on resources and implementing restrictions as necessary.
Thames Water has yet to issue a hosepipe ban for the city, but Affinity Water — which covers the boroughs of Harrow, Hillingdon, Barnet, Brent and Ealing — has issued a ban.
A spokesperson for the water company said: “We’re introducing a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), also known as a hosepipe ban, across our Central region from 00:01 on Friday 17 July until further notice.
“Demand for water is much higher than we'd normally expect, and supplies are under real pressure.
“Last month was the warmest June on record for England, with temperatures reaching as high as 37.7°C, and we've seen a continued pattern of hot, dry weather since.
“We plan carefully for hot weather using years of data, but this year demand is around 20% higher than we'd normally expect.
“We're also currently receiving less water than usual from Grafham Water reservoir, which would usually provide around 10% of our Central region's supply. The ban applies to customers in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London.”
South East Water was the first company to announce a ban on July 3, affecting customers in the Kent region. This includes places such as Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, and Canterbury.
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Cambridge Water also issued a temporary ban for the first time in 30 years for parts of Cambridgeshire.
Some 24 towns across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will also become subject to a hosepipe ban announced by Southern Water while Anglian Water introduced its first hosepipe ban in a decade on Friday morning.
Restrictions are now in place for regions supplied by Anglian Water, including parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Essex.
Thames Water has not issued an official ban, but the water company has urged its customers not to use hosepipes or sprinklers during heatwaves.
The Standard’s interactive map shows where hosepipe bans are currently in place.
Under temporary hose pipe bans, households cannot use hosepipes for non-essential tasks. That means you can’t water your garden, fill up your paddling pool, or wash your car while the ban is in place.
However, you can use hosepipes for the welfare of animals and pets.
If you don’t follow the rules, you could face a fine of up to £1,000.