No hosepipe bans for the East yet despite amber heatwave warning
A quarter of the UK population are being warned restrictions will be imposed
With a number of water companies having already confirmed that hosepipe bans are in place, we've been finding out if people in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex can expect similar restrictions.
Customers of Anglian Water in our region won't be affected as water levels supplying the area are stable for now.
It comes after Thames Water - the biggest water company in the UK supplying 15 million people - announced they would look at bringing in the ban due to ongoing dry conditions.
A statement from the Thames Water said: ‘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.’
Familiar territory, for now
Regan Harris, from Anglian Water, tells us bans won't be needed locally because they're used to the region being one of the driest in the UK:
'We're resilient in the East of England, we've got a long history of dry summers, long dry spells, so one dry summer doesn't necessarily give us cause for concern because we're very good at conserving water, because we plan for it.'
Not a liberty
Despite there being no plans for bans, Anglian Water insist that we use the resource sparingly - to prevent from sending the situation out of control.
'We're really urging people to put the hosepipes away for the summer, embrace the brown lawn, it will bounce back, enjoy not having to cut it for a while. Or don't wash the car, let it be dirty - it doesn't really matter in the short time before the rain starts again.'
'One person's paddling pool is another person's drinking water, or it's water in our rivers for wildlife, so it's really important that we're thinking about the wider environment and to make use of the precious resources that we have.'
Weather Warnings
It all comes as a four-day amber warning for 'extreme heat' has kicked in across the East today.
The Met Office is warning people who are vulnerable are likely to be the worst affected with temperatures expected to get into the mid-30s.
It's suggested some changes to working practices and daily routines might be needed.
It also said an influx of people to lakes and coastal areas to cool off is likely which could lead to more water-related incidents.
You can see some tips for staying safe while cooling down here:
Follow this advice, and stay safe around water
During hot summer days, lakes, rivers, reservoirs and the sea can look really tempting.
But beneath the surface can lie hidden dangers, cold temperatures an unexpected currents.
The Royal Life Saving Society has this advice to stay safe.
Look out for lifeguards
If you're looking for a place to cool off always find a lifeguarded swimming site.
It’s colder than it looks
Water at open water and inland sites is often much colder than it looks, cold water can affect your ability to swim and self-rescue.
Don’t go too far
Always swim parallel to the shore, that way you're never too far away from it.
It's stronger than it looks
Currents in the water can be very strong. If you find yourself caught in a riptide – don't swim against it – you'll tire yourself out. Swim with the current and call for help.
Bring a friend
Always bring a friend when you go swimming so if anything goes wrong you've got someone there to help.