Water companies across Britain have confirmed that hosepipe bans will remain in force despite forecasts of torrential rainfall this weekend that could deliver more than a month's worth of precipitation in some areas.
Yorkshire Water and South East Water stated that current restrictions cannot be lifted until reservoir and groundwater levels show significant improvement.
The confirmation comes as the Met Office warns of dangerous thunderstorms threatening to bring widespread flooding across the UK from Saturday evening through to Sunday night.
Four yellow weather warnings have been issued covering south-west England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and large swathes of northern, eastern and southern England.
The warnings, in effect from 6pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday, highlight that some areas could receive up to three inches of rain within just a few hours.
The Met Office said: "Rain will likely be torrential in places, bringing 20-30mm in less than an hour, with 60-90mm in two to three hours possible in a few places."
Fast-flowing water poses a danger to life in parts of Cornwall, south-west Wales, and central and east England.
The Environment Agency has issued 27 flood alerts for the next five days, with surface water flooding possible across much of England on Saturday.
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|The warnings, in effect from 6pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday, highlight that some areas could receive up to three inches of rain within just a few hours
Yorkshire Water, which imposed restrictions on July 11, said bans "could not be lifted until reservoir and groundwater levels return to where we need them to be".
The company added: "We would need a few months of wet weather rather than intermittent rainfall."
South East Water, which introduced its ban on Friday, confirmed it was highly unlikely the weekend's rainfall would be sufficient to lift restrictions.
Thames Water has announced a hosepipe ban starting July 22 for millions of customers across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and parts of Berkshire, covering all OX, GL and SN postcodes, plus RG4, RG8 and RG9 areas.
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|South East Water, which introduced its ban on Friday, confirmed it was highly unlikely the weekend's rainfall would be sufficient to lift restrictions
Southern Water has extended the restrictions to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with a ban coming into force from 9am on Monday.
The AA warned drivers that "this amount of rain is well over a month's worth for a normal July" and urged motorists to prepare for disruption on popular holiday routes.
The breakdown service cautioned about flash flooding, surface water and slippery conditions at junctions and roundabouts.
National Rail advised passengers to check services before travelling and allow extra time for journeys, with speed restrictions possible in affected areas.
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A hosepipe ban affecting more than 1.4 million people is in place
Unsettled conditions are forecast to continue until Wednesday when showers are expected to ease.
Across England, rainfall was 20 per cent less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country with heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency said.
Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency director for water and National Drought Group chairwoman, said: "This has been the driest start to the year since 1976, and we need to make sure our water supplies can sustain us through the summer.
"Today I have asked all the partners who make up the National Drought Group to step up their operational response to manage the drought and use water wisely.
"Environment Agency teams are out on the ground actively monitoring river levels and working to ensure there is enough water for the people and the environment."