British people urged to save water as hot weather continues

Water companies in Britain urged customers to use less water, as weather reports Monday forecast high temperature will go on for the next fortnight.

The BBC's weather team says temperatures will stay high across most of the UK over the next two weeks, after a hot week nationwide with the record for the hottest day of the year being set on four consecutive days.

People are being told to conserve water. Northern Ireland has issued a hosepipe ban since last Friday, while the Southern Water, which supplies water to parts of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said Monday that it was asking customers to use water wisely in the garden and avoid washing cars and windows "until it begins to cool down".

United Utilities, which operates in the northwest of England, said it has seen a "massive increase in water consumption across our area" and it was "struggling to get enough water around the system quick enough".

" You can help us by turning off your garden sprinklers, not using your hosepipes, not washing your car and taking shorter showers and not baths this weekend," the company urged.

Data showed last month was the driest June on record in England, while Scotland in last week also had its highest temperature, 33.2 degree Celsius, ever recorded.