Anglian Water has ruled out a hosepipe ban in Norfolk this summer following the wettest 18 months in England on record.

Norfolk has been hit by 10 named storms since last autumn causing a rise in water levels, numerous floods, accidents on the roads and disruptions to travel.

In March, the A1101 Welney Wash Road broke records after being submerged for 82 days this winter.

But Anglian Water bosses have reassured customers that its groundwater and reservoir levels are on average 90pc full after the downpours.

This means taps can keep running all summer - even if the heatwave some experts have predicted does strike.

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Ian Rule, director of water at Anglian Water, said: “It’s clear from this winter that our climate is going to continue to change at an alarming rate meaning periods of drought and flood are going to become more commonplace.

"While we always welcome a wet winter to replenish our supplies, this winter has been extreme - but it does mean we’re in good shape heading into this summer.

“We’ve known that the East is likely to see the impacts of the climate emergency more keenly than anywhere else in the UK and building resilience to climate change - as well as preparing for 720,000 new residents to move to our region - has been at the heart of our long-term planning since the 1990s.

"In fact, it is one of the reasons – alongside driving down leakage to industry-leading low levels - why we didn’t need to implement a hosepipe ban, unlike other parts of the UK, in the last long hot summer.”