UK weather forecast latest: London to escape hosepipe ban for now... but 30C heat is due to return

Households in London will escape a hosepipe ban for the time being, Thames Water said, as the heatwave was forecast to get hotter again this weekend.

Up to seven million people in the northwest will be hit with a ban next month to “safeguard essential supplies” amid low reservoir levels, supplier United Utilities said.

Andrew Tucker, water efficiency manager at Thames Water, said his company were not planning to follow suit, but advised Londoners to use supplies sparingly.

“We’ve really ramped up our water saving efforts to meet the record demand levels during the heatwave,” he said. “That’s why we’re also asking our customers to care for water as much as possible and see if there are any simple changes they can make to help ensure there is enough to go around and prevent the need for restrictions later in the year.

“Water is a precious resource and with a growing population and the impact of climate change, there will continue to be pressure on the supplies.”

United Utilities, which covers Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, said the ban will come in on August 5. A hosepipe ban was introduced in Northern Ireland at the end of June.

Some patches of rain were forecast in London today and tomorrow, but 30C heat is likely to return at the weekend. According to the Met Office, Thursday and Friday will be cloudier with temperatures between 26C and 27C.

This weekend, it is forecast to be 28C in Barcelona and 29C in Ibiza.