Why are there still hosepipe bans when it's been raining so much?

Heavy rain throughout November may have left some wondering why hosepipe bans are still in place in parts of the country.

Three water companies - South East, South West, and Yorkshire - still have "temporary use bans" restricting the amount families and businesses can use.

Thames, Southern and Welsh Water recently lifted restrictions they imposed in the summer after supplies improved, but officials in Wales warned that reservoir levels in the southeast of the country are still dropping.

What are the water companies saying?

South East Water said its current hosepipe ban will remain in place "for the foreseeable future".

This is because water levels at reservoirs and aquifers are "much lower than normal after the dry, hot summer", its head of water resources Lee Dance said.

He added: "Although we are receiving some much-welcome rain in the South East, we will continue to monitor rainfall through the winter and evaluate whether changes can be made."

South West Water only has bans in areas where water levels are "especially low".

It said recent rainfall has helped river and reservoir levels "slowly start to recover" but supplies remain reduced throughout the region - especially in Cornwall.

Yorkshire Water strikes a more hopeful tone, saying: "Reservoir levels are moving in the right direction.

"We're seeing some significant increases week on week as the rainfall, drought permits, additional leakage activity and support from our customers to save water, help them to top up."

But it added that "rain doesn't always fall evenly across the whole region" and that South Yorkshire in particular still has low level reservoir levels.

-sky news