The heat is on... but the taps should stay off
TURN off the tap as you brush your teeth to avoid a hosepipe ban, water chiefs urged yesterday as records showed the south of the UK was hit by the driest June ever.
Hosepipe bans, which have already been enforced in Northern Ireland, are being considered across Britain by several utility firms.
Yesterday Southern Water asked customers to limit waste, including showering for at most four minutes.
Firefighters tackling moorland fires relied on public handouts of hats and sun cream to protect them.
Over 100 firefighters and 100 soldiers were still battling the Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill blazes, which continued for a second week as crews dug trenches to protect homes. A field fire in Marlow, Bucks, closed roads as 20 fire engines were sent to put out the blaze.
Last month was the hottest June on record for Northern Ireland and Wales, and the fourth hottest for Scotland and England, the Met Office said.
Parts of south-east and central southern England also experienced the driest June on record, with just six per cent of expected rainfall.
A level three heatwave health alert was issued by the Met Office and Public Health England for the South, which is set to last until 9pm today, over fears medical complications could be worsened by the heat.
The RSPCA issued a warning to pet owners after a “fit and healthy” dog collapsed and died in Cheshire after being taken for a walk in the heat.