South East Water urges residents to 'work together to make sure there’s enough water for everyone' during heatwave

The plea comes after the UK Health Security Agency and Met Office issued an amber heat-health alert for parts of England – including Sussex.

In its plea, a spokesperson for South East Water said: "With a late summer flourish and temperatures rising it's as important as ever to be water wise.

“This weekend especially, we’re asking for your help to make sure there is enough water to go around for everyone.

"Let's enjoy the sunshine, staying hydrated, keeping cool in the shade, and leaving any excess watering to the rain due next week.

"In the meantime, we have lots of simple ideas that can save you money, time, and water in your home and garden.

"Go for gold and don’t water the lawn – save yourself the time of watering the grass, it will bounce back when the rain returns.

"Switch it up and use a watering can – the average hosepipe uses 170 litres of water every ten minutes, that’s around 19 toilet flushes or two bathtubs. Whereas a standard watering can holds ten litres of water.

"Reel in the hosepipe and water less – enjoy more time with your friends and family by rolling out the BBQ instead of soaking the garden. With our free Swell Gel pouches, you won’t need to water your plants so much anyway.

"Take the weekend off and wash your car in a few days' time – we're sure it's been a busy week and those bits of dust and dirt can wait.

"Set the timer and shower for four minutes – it could save a typical household £75 off their energy bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust.”

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: “High pressure is situated to the southeast of the UK, which is bringing more settled conditions with temperatures on the rise

“While the highest temperatures are expected in the south, heatwave conditions are likely across much of England and Wales especially, with parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland also likely to see some unseasonably high temperatures.”