The issue comes when you turn on water from your mains and channel it through a hose or hose-like tool, so avoid doing this at all for reasons outside the exempted terms as long as you’re under a ban. Yorkshire Water was the first body to announce a hosepipe ban this year, with an expected five million-plus people affected.

Thames Water announced its hosepipe or temporary use ban (TUB) after the EA placed much of its area in its "prolonged dry weather" category, one away from drought status. The EA said it expects more water companies to follow with their own TUBs, although it will be dependent on rainfall and temperatures in the weeks ahead.

A double water-pipe burst has led to road closures in a town. Water could be seen bubbling up and flowing along South Street and Edward Street in Hythe, Hampshire, early on Wednesday. Southern Water said the leak had been reported online and its engineers were on site making repairs. It said road closures were also being put in place.

Southern Water has become the latest company to bring in a hosepipe ban, to protect rare chalk stream habitat, as England battles exceptionally dry weather.The company said restrictions on hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens,

LIDL is selling an affordable plant that will keep thriving all summer long and attracts wildlife. The drought-resistant plant is perfect as more households are affected by hosepipe ban despite

Southern Water has become the fourth utility company in England to issue a hosepipe ban. In a statement published on their website on Wednesday, the company announced that limitations on water usage will be in place from 9am on 21 July for customers in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

The hosepipe ban will come into effect in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight from 9am on Monday, the company said in a statement. Thames Water announced earlier this week that a hosepipe ban would come into effect across much of Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire.

A hosepipe ban is now in place in 10 counties across England, but none in Wales. However, there is one simple rule that means you can still use a hosepipe in your garden during the hot weather

Wessex Water, which serves most of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, as well as parts of Dorset and Gloucestershire, has not introduced a hosepipe ban since 1976. It said there were a number of factors at play, including the fact 75% of its water source came from groundwater, which it said was more resilient against dry weather.