England’s largest water company has announced that there will be a hosepipe ban “in the coming weeks” which will affect 15 million people, after the Met Office has issued an Amber weather warning for extreme heat.

The warning comes into affect from Thursday lasting until Sunday and Met Office’s Grahame Madge told The Times, “I would suspect it’s going to take a while for meaningful rainfall to come through.”

Thames Water said in a statement, “Given the long term forecast of dry weather and another forecast of very hot temperatures coming this week we are planning to announce a temporary use ban in the coming weeks.”

Read more:

Experts warn the hosepipe ban could last until the autumn amid the lack of any ‘meaningful rainfall’ and soaring temperatures

Met Office issues ‘extreme heat warning’ with ‘temperatures expected to build throughout the week’

More 2 million homes are set to be hit with a hosepipe ban as ‘this is the driest July on record since 1935’

They are strongly advising their customers to “only use what they need for their essential use.”

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Tony Wardle said, ‘Heatwave criteria look likely to be met for large areas of the UK later this week, with the hottest areas expected in central and southern England and Wales on Friday and Saturday.

“Temperatures could peak at 35°C, or even an isolated 36°C on Saturday.

“Elsewhere will see temperatures widely into the high 20s and low 30s Celsius later this week as temperatures build day on day through the week due to an area of high pressure extending over much of the UK.

“Coupled with the high daytime temperatures will be continued warm nights, with the mercury expected to drop to only around low 20s Celsius for some areas in the south.”

Wardle added, “Further south, which has seen little rain for some time now, dryness will continue through the week and provide no relief for parched land, especially in the South East.”