Residents across Hampshire are being urged to stop using their hosepipes after Southern Water announced a hosepipe ban will come into force next Friday.

Following the warmest spring on record and weeks of exceptionally dry weather, the Temporary Use Ban will take effect at 12.01am on Friday, July 10, although the company is asking customers to start cutting their water use immediately to help protect supplies.

Southern Water said the prolonged dry weather has left the River Test, one of the world's rare chalk streams and the main source of drinking water for much of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, at critically low levels, around 25 percent below normal for this time of year.

Tania Flasck, Southern Water's director of water operations, said: "We're working round the clock to keep taps flowing and protect the River Test, which is at a critically low level following recent hot weather.

"After a record year of leakage reduction last year, we've cut leaks even further, by almost a quarter in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Since January, we've found and fixed 2,840 leaks in the region, saving around 27 million litres of water every day.

"While the hosepipe ban comes into force on July 10, we're asking customers to start reducing their water use now to help protect one of the region's precious chalk streams."

The restrictions mean customers must not use hosepipes for activities including watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars.

Southern Water said hosepipes can use up to 1,000 litres of water an hour – roughly the amount one person uses in a week.

The company said it is continuing to tackle leaks using smart technology, drones and specially trained dogs, while investing in new reservoirs, water transfer pipelines and recycling schemes to improve long-term water supplies.

Some customers are exempt from the ban, including Priority Services Register and WaterSure customers with mobility or health needs, such as Blue Badge holders. Further information is available on Southern Water's website.