Severn Trent has urged customer's to be mindful of their water usage this summer, after the Met Office issued it's first ever extreme weather warning.

Severn Trent has asked customers to make "simple changes" in their water usage, as they revealed that over 2.2bn litres of water was used across its region on Monday (July 19). The request came on the same day the Met Office issued its first ever extreme weather warning, as the country basked in temperatures reaching over 30 degrees.

James Jesic, customer operations director, said the water company has seen a demand for water increase.

He said: "With more people at home, many kids now off school and the hot weather here for the week, we’re seeing demand for water increase, so it’d be really helpful if people could be mindful of their water usage to make sure that there’s plenty of water for all the essentials such as cooking, drinking and cleaning"

He added: "We absolutely appreciate that it’s very warm and we do not want to stop our customers from having fun and keeping cool but our priority must be to ensure that everyone has access to water for all the essentials, like keeping hydrated in the heat"

This means, on average, customers used an extra 60 litres of water per person - on top of the 145 litres normally used yesterday. The company said that while it’s reservoirs are in a healthy position, it’s seeing a day-on-day increase in demand for treated water due to high temperatures and is asking customers to use water wisely and reduce non-essential usage where possible, by making some simple changes.

Mr Jesic said: "Small changes such as covering the paddling pool at night and reusing the water the next day or swapping the garden hose for a watering can might feel small, but when they’re all added up they can make a huge difference".

Severn Trent said the challenge is treating and pumping water out fast enough to meet the increased demand - especially when temperatures increase and more people head into their gardens.

The company has asked customers to make changes such as having quick showers instead of baths to cool down, avoid washing the car and turning off taps when not in use.