Although there is no threat to Southern Water’s water supplies, the environment must be protected during “one of the driest years on record for over a century.”
Temperatures in the UK reached 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 19, thanks to a plume of hot air from north Africa and the Sahara.
This is the first hosepipe ban imposed by the water company since 2012.
Hosepipes will be prohibited from being used to water gardens or clean cars, and ornamental ponds and swimming pools will be prohibited from being filled.
Cleaning the walls or windows of domestic premises, paths, patios, or other artificial outdoor surfaces with a hosepipe is also prohibited.
England has had its driest July in 111 years so far this month, according to the Met Office, as the UK declared its first hosepipe ban of the summer following the driest six months since the landmark drought of 1976.
According to data, the average amount of rain in the country has been 15.8mm (0.6in).
According to the Met Office, the country would have expected well over three-quarters of the month’s rain to have fallen by this point in the month – up to Tuesday – in an average July.
Dr Alison Hoyle, Southern Water’s director of risk and compliance, stated, “We haven’t taken this decision lightly, and we know the temporary use ban will have an impact on our customers.”
‘We’re asking everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to help by supporting these measures and only using what they need.’
