Millions of residents in South East England have been hit with a hosepipe ban amid the scorching hot weather and record demand for drinking water.
South East Water has announced restrictions for its customers in Kent and Sussex, saying the situation had developed "more rapidly" than last year.
A similar ban for customers in the two counties was introduced in August 2022 following the driest July in Kent since records began and the lowest rainfall in Sussex since 1911.
The ban will come into force on 26 June.
It was announced as some 4,000 of SEW's customers were already without water following supply issues in Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas, Biddenden and Staplehurst and Wadhurst and Mayfield.
Bottled water stations have been set up in
David Hinton, SEW chief executive officer, said: "This situation has developed much more rapidly than last year. Understandably, we've seen customer demand increase in line with the hotter weather, however this has impacted our ability to keep all customers in supply at all times.
"Despite asking for customers help to use water for essential uses only, regrettably we've now been left with no choice but to introduce this temporary use ban restriction to protect customers supplies across Kent and Sussex.
"The long-term forecast for the rest of the summer is for a dry period with little rainfall, although temperatures may reduce slightly. Restricting the use of hosepipes and sprinklers to make sure we have enough water for our customers' essential use, will ensure we can serve our vulnerable customers and to protect the local environment."
He added: "The temporary restrictions, will be enforced from 26 June. This will mean that customers will be prevented from using hosepipes for watering their gardens, washing cars, patios and boats and from filling swimming and paddling pools.
"We are very aware that climate change and other factors are increasing the frequency of these events and we are submitting proposals to our regulator, Ofwat to solve these issues.
"I would like to thank everyone who has already taken steps to try and reduce their overall water use but despite this, demand still remains very high which is why we have taken this decision to bring in temporary use restrictions."
More follows...
From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate - The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.