Hosepipe ban imposed on almost one million Britons after hottest June day on record

The restriction will be enforced from today, the water provider added.

"Introducing a temporary use ban will help protect local water resources and ensure we can continue to provide a reliable supply of drinking water to customers and essential services across the country," South East Water announced.

It has urged customers to "follow these restrictions straight away".

The ban prohibits customers from using hoses to water gardens, wash cars, clean patios and boats, or fill swimming and paddling pools.

South East Water said it had already increased output by more than 100 million litres of water a day – the equivalent of supplying around three towns the size of Maidstone.

However, demand still needed to be reduced to prevent supply interruptions across the network throughout the heatwave.

The water company said every available water treatment works and source was running at full capacity.

Additional teams have been deployed to locate and fix bursts and leaks across the network, it added.

Dave Hinton, the outgoing chief executive of South East Water, said: “We completely understand why everyone reaches for the hose when the weather gets this hot.

"It’s natural to want to enjoy our gardens and cool down, and we know how frustrating it is to hear that restrictions are coming into place.”

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He added: “The sheer scale of this sustained heatwave means drinking water is being drawn from our storage tanks faster than it can be treated and refilled.”

Extreme red heat health alerts have been issued across the East of England, East Midlands, London, the South East, the South West and the West Midlands.

Amber alerts are in place for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber until 11pm tomorrow.

The Government has approved reducing school hours during heatwaves after hundreds of classrooms shut across the country this week.

The weather has also caused travel disruption, with train journeys delayed or cancelled, with the public urged to avoid travel where possible.

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has told residents to work from home during the extreme heat.

Britain has recorded its hottest June day on record after temperatures reached 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, breaking the previous high of 35.6C set in 1976 and 1957.

The Met Office said the record could be broken again today or tomorrow, with the exceptional heat expected to spread northwards and some areas potentially experiencing an even hotter day than yesterday.

If temperatures reach 39C, it would make it the second-hottest day ever recorded in the UK.

A reading of 38C would place it in the top five hottest days on record and hotter than any single day in the entire 20th century.

Professor Stephen Belcher, chief scientist for the Met Office, said it is “sobering” to see temperatures as high as this in June.

Figures are currently provisional and would be verified at the end of the heatwave to check if it is a new national record.