Households in Kent are being advised to use water wisely after a drier than average June and forecasts this week which suggest July could be a record-breaking scorcher.

The Environment Agency says it is watching the 'water situation' closely - admitting that if the hot dry weather is to continue there could be a risk of an impact on some areas.

The Met Office says southern and eastern areas could be in for some very hot weather in the coming seven to 10 days - with temperatures potentially reaching the low 30s by next Wednesday.

While some forecast models take the predictions for a heatwave one step further - suggesting that the mercury could tip near record breaking levels after the weekend on a number of consecutive days.

Millions of customers were last affected by a hosepipe ban in 2018 - before that 2012 - and while no ban came into force last year, South East Water was among those forced to contact customers last July about water use after a flurry of post-lockdown staycations and dry weather risked putting too much additional pressure on supplies.

The amount of water currently available in reservoirs and groundwater stores in the South East is good for this time of year, says the water company, but as summer continues it says customers are now increasingly using tap water for fun in the garden such as filling giant paddling pools along with watering plants.

Lee Dance, Head of Water Resources, South East Water explained: "We have 2.3 million customers in the South East and if everyone uses a lot of water at once, demand can outweigh the amount of water we are able to treat and get to homes and businesses.

"We are asking our customers to help us by being mindful of the water they use not only to protect our environment but to make sure everyone gets what they need to keep cool and hydrated. During the hot periods we are producing an extra million litres of drinking water a day - the equivalent of 1.25 million flushes of the toilet.

"Although we're used to managing high demand and have tried and tested plans in place, we are grateful to customers who play their part by using water wisely, so that we can continue to keep water flowing to everyone."

Despite some rainfall towards the end of June it was a dry month for the UK with figures around a quarter below the monthly average.

The Met Office's monthly report says: "For the UK, an average of 59mm of rain fell in the month, which is 24% less than the long-term average. Areas in England and eastern Scotland were particularly dry, although not enough to trouble any records."

The Environment Agency, which is reminding people to only use a washing machine when its full, use a water butt in the garden and turn off taps properly, says it is working with water companies and watching the situation.
A spokesman said: "Some rivers in South East England have responded to the drier weather since mid-March and are currently below normal flows, although there are no reports of impacts on the local environment.

"There is a low-risk of significant impacts this summer with average rainfall. However, if dry weather continues throughout the summer the risk of impacts will increase.

"We are monitoring the water situation closely and continue to work with water companies and other abstractors to monitor water resources. We can all do our part to use water wisely, reduce our usage and manage this precious resource."

According to the agency's latest monthly report into water levels - very dry weather in April is continuing to have a bearing on water levels.

The summary in its latest report reads: Soil moisture deficits have continued to increase across the country as anticipated at this time of year, however the influence of very dry conditions in April continue to be felt with soils remaining drier than average. River flows decreased in May at all but two of the indicator sites we report on, with the majority classed as below normal and notably low for the time of year.

"Groundwater levels continued their seasonal decline at all indicator sites, with the majority of sites classed recording normal or lower groundwater levels at the end of May. Reservoir stocks declined at all except two of the reservoirs or reservoir groups we report on."