See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:07 BST, 20 August 2026 | Updated: 14:12 BST, 20 August 2026
Thames Water has warned its hosepipe ban is likely to stay in place until the end of the year, with more than 10 million customers affected. The company enforced the restrictions for all 10.1 million people it supplies last month, when most of England and Wales was declared in drought due to a record-breaking summer of heatwaves. Rain has finally returned to much of Britain, left bone dry from months of soaring temperatures, yet Thames Water today admitted its restrictions could last several months.It comes after experts warned the return of rainfall may not be enough to reverse the drought conditions affecting much of the country, with weeks of above average rainfall required to make any significant changes. Rainfall totals for July ranged from 26 per cent of the typical average for northwest England to as little as 1 per cent in the southeast.Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, told Times Radio today: 'I think realistically, it's going to be towards the end of the year before that comes off. That's something that we need to make sure we do just to protect the environment.' He added that when temperatures surpassed 25C, customers tended to use 25 per cent more water than usual. When they go above 30C, as they frequently have this summer amid five heatwaves, customers use up to 50 per cent more water. Lawns and fields across the country have been scorched by soaring temperatures. Pictured: Rushmere lake on Wimbledon Common today
