Households told not to water lawn or garden on Saturday, Sunday or Monday

Households across the UK are being told not to water their lawn or this weekend - because of a long rainfall drought which has hit water supplies this May.

Yorkshire Water says that the UK has seen just 0.5% of the average rainfall for May - a staggering 99.5% drop on average rainfall for this month.

It means that the firm is urging people to avoid using tap water to water their lawn or because of the shortfall in water supplies.

Although the Met Office has forecast some rain for parts of the UK this Bank Holiday weekend (in itself, something of a British tradition), even if it does rain, it won't be enough to make up the shortfall in our reservoirs.

Dave Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, said: "The light showers that are expected over the weekend are long overdue, though I'm sure most would prefer a sunny bank holiday. Whilst rain is a relief, we have had just 0.5% of average rainfall for May so far, so we'd need significant and sustained rainfall for our reservoirs to return to normal, which isn't forecast.

"We're urging customers to continue doing what they can to use water wisely and make the most of the rain by getting their water butts ready, maybe even making DIY water butts, and letting the rain do the job of watering plants and lawns instead of reaching for the watering can or hose."

It said usage has been higher than normal over the past two months, thought to be due to the lack of rainfall, which in turn is putting more pressure on supplies.

The Met Office says in its Bank Holiday weekend forecast: "The bank holiday weekend sees a marked change in weather type, with many areas seeing rain or showers and more unsettled conditions, which remain into next week.

"We've already seen an end to the prolonged dry spell, with rain over the south of the UK today (Wednesday), with 10-15mm in an hour possible in some areas. This rain will clear during the afternoon, leaving a few heavy showers and the possibility of the odd rumble of thunder. To the north of this, there's plenty of sunshine though, feeling warm, with top temperatures of 22/23°C possible."

It added: "The high pressure that has been dominant for much of the last few weeks is expected to finally move away eastwards this weekend, as Deputy Chief meteorologist David Oliver explains: "We'll see a change in conditions this weekend as weather systems move in from the Atlantic. These will bring rain and windier conditions from the west later Friday, which will spread across the whole of the UK on Saturday. Some heavy rain is expected, especially in the northwest later on Saturday when winds will also strengthen, bringing a risk of coastal gales in the north.""