Thames Water has said it is planning to announce a hosepipe ban in the coming weeks.

While the water company has not revealed when exactly a ban would come into force, the public should expect it to start some time soon and to affect the company's entire service area.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Given the long-term forecast of dry weather and another forecast of very hot temperatures coming this week, we are planning to announce a temporary use ban in the coming weeks.

“We have written to the Environment Agency to update them on our approach and informed Ofwat.

“The timing is not confirmed due to a number of operational and legal procedural requirements but we will be updating our customers, partners, regulators and stakeholders at the earliest time to ensure a co-ordinated approach.

“In the meantime, we continue to urge our customers to only use what they need for their essential use.”

Thames Water's service area covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, as well as further afield in Hertfordshire, Hampshire and Greater London.

The announcement comes as the Met Office issued a four-day amber warning for extreme temperatures in parts of England and Wales as a new heatwave looms.

The warning, for Thursday to Sunday, comes as the forecaster predicted 35C in places or even an “isolated” 36C – below last month’s record temperatures, which peaked above 40C in some spots.

Government minister Paul Scully said it is “always sensible” for people to conserve water, when asked about the possibility of a hosepipe ban for London.

The Tory MP and minister for London was asked how likely it is that Thames Water will impose such a ban.

He told LBC he has not “had feedback” from the water company yet “as to the reservoir levels within London”.

He said: “I think it’s always sensible for people to be conserving water anyway, from an environmental point of view, and a cost point of view for those people on a water meter.

“But we’ll look carefully because the whole point about London and the South East is that the more development you have and the less rainfall there is, then obviously there’s less to go around and we’ve got to be careful.”