Minister 'strongly urges' water companies to introduce MORE watering bans

Forecasters are predicting warm weather will continue over most of the UK this week when conditions remain dry and settled with little rain or wind.

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Image: George Cracknell Wright/LNP)

Environment Secretary George Eustice has 'strongly' urged water companies to further ban hosepipes as temperatures are set to soar this week.

This is the first time a minister has spoken on drought fears, as August was "unusually dry".

Southern Water has already imposed a watering ban for Britons in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, South East Water will follow this Friday, with a ban in place for those in Kent and Sussex.

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Weather forecasters predict that warm weather will continue across most of the UK this week, when conditions will remain dry and settled with little rain or wind.

George Eustice said some companies had already "rightly" taken action to mitigate the effects of prolonged dry weather, as he encouraged others to follow suit.

Environmental Secretary George Eustice (

Picture:

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Mr. Eustice wrote in The Sunday Telegraph: "In line with their drought plans, water companies across the country have rightly taken action to mitigate the effects of this prolonged dry weather using the range of tools available to them.

"I urge others to do the same".

High temperatures of 27C and 28C are expected to hit parts of southern and south-eastern England on Sunday, with sunny spells forecast throughout the day for most of the country.

Dry conditions look set to clash with watering bans already imposed or about to be announced; other companies are likely to follow suit after the Environment Secretary's intervention.