As the hot weather continues, Severn Trent has asked locals to consider how they use water at home.

The company is reminding people to be mindful of their water use whilst enjoying the warmer weather, with the region receiving only around half the expected amount of rainfall in May.

Sophie Evans-Young, customer demand lead at Severn Trent said: "We tend to think about Britain as a country that gets more than its share of rain, but water is a precious resource and with temperatures expected to climb in the coming days, we want to remind customers to use water wisely.

"It's natural when the weather gets warmer to get paddling pools out and using sprinklers, hosepipes and pressure washers to keep gardens and cars looking lovely.

"However, it's water-intensive activities such as these that can cause a sudden spike in demand."

While the Midlands saw some wet weather through April and May, February was the driest since 1993.

2022 was also the hottest year on record.

Severn Trent says it is working on long-term solutions to address these growing pressures and "ensure a continued supply of water both now and into the future".

Sophie added: "Pressures from climate change and population growth mean we all need to think about how we use water all year-round, not just during the summer.

"We managed to avoid a hosepipe ban last year thanks to our year-round water management plan and the fantastic support of our customers, who helped ensure there was plenty of water for everyone to take care of life's essentials."

Some of Sophie's top tips for saving water are:

• Get yourself a water butt – it's a great way to save water when it rains, and you can use the water for your garden when it's dry
• When watering plants, use a watering can rather than a hosepipe  
• A sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour – which is more than a family of four would normally use in a whole day! – and thirsty lawns will            quickly bounce back once it starts raining again      
• Think about planting water efficient plants such as Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Sea holly (Eryngium amethystinum) or Euphorbia
• Clean your car with a bucket or with leftover water from the paddling pool, rather than a hosepipe or pressure washer, it'll save loads of water and help keep your bills down  
• Ask your children to water the plants with leftover water from their paddling pool – a fun activity to keep them entertained whilst also saving money and water  
• If the dog needs a bath, think about using the water from the paddling pool
• Water the plants earlier or later in the day when it's cooler and the water is less likely to evaporate