says the hosepipe ban is designed to protect rivers, such as the itchen, where it extracts water. but the rivers trust says we need to think more strategically about how to cope when dry, hot summers become the norm. we want to see government and the water companies responding in a coordinated way. this hot spell, and this prolonged dry period is a pressure test for us now to get ready for the long haul, because we re going to be seeing many more summers like this in years to come. and with no end to the dry weather in sight, the pressure on britain s chalk rivers is likely to worsen. helen briggs, bbc news, hampshire. the time is quarter past one. our top story this lunchtime. falling behind on paying for energy households owe more money to their energy supplier than ever before and that s before bills are set to rise even further in october. and the beluga whale rescued
[ ] ashley: welcome to fox news live, i m ashley strohmier in new york. more than 50 million americans facing dangerous and potentially deadly temperatures. heat advisories have been issued in texas and alabama. and scientists expect the east to shift west in the coming weeks. phoenix, arizona, those two states could climb as high as 114 degrees which is extreme for a city notorious for hot summers. at least 7 civilian deaths are reported in ukrainian attacks. officials expect the fighting and human death toll will only escalate over the coming weeks. e