I’M really fed up with hot weather.

That’s saying something for someone who was until recently a sun worshipper who spent every available hour soaking up its rays.

Sadly the sun doesn’t like me anymore. I have never been as uncomfortable in my life as I have in the past couple of weeks. The heat makes me come out in red itchy wheals and scratch and scratch and scratch.

For the past couple of weeks I have been forced to stay indoors - only emerging at dusk to water the hanging baskets.

And yes I am trying to preserve water by using a watering can rather than a hose. That’s because if we don’t use it wisely a hosepipe ban will have to be brought in.

There has been an unprecedented period of dry weather since December 2009, and United Utilities needs to take action now so that it can tap into available water resources if the dry weather continues.

After the very wet autumn last year the weather pattern has changed dramatically and since December, believe it or not, there has been only half the average amount of rainfall.

At the start of December the reservoirs were 96% full, but because of the low rainfall since then, they are now well down for the time of year.

Simple things like not running the tap while brushing teeth, and using a save-a-flush device to cut water use by a litre every time the toilet is flushed will all help conserve supplies.

We should all try to do our bit.