More than 6 million people have been affected by a water shortage in large areas of the Philippine capital and a nearby province, with long lines forming for rationed water.

A spokesperson for Manila Water Co. Inc., Jeric Sevilla, said on Thursday that water supplies will be cut for several hours a day for 6.8 million people in more than a million households until the rainy season fills dams and reservoirs in May or June.

The company says a spike in demand and reduced water levels in a dam in the sweltering summer are the culprits, exacerbated by El Nino weather conditions.

Congress is to hold inquiries next week into the cause of the crisis.

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