England and Wales have officially recorded their driest July since records began in 1836, the Met Office confirmed. England experienced just 6.5mm of rainfall, a mere 10% of its long-term average and less than half the previous record set in 1911. Wales recorded 9.3mm, equivalent to 9% of its average.
Southern England was particularly affected, with only 1.9mm of rain, making it the driest month ever recorded for that region. Across the UK, July was the third driest on record with 28.9mm of rainfall, or 35% of the average, marking the driest July nationally since 1868. While Northern Ireland also saw a dry July, ranking eighth driest, Scotland received 69% of its average rainfall and did not approach record-breaking levels.
Nineteen counties across the UK registered less than 1mm of rainfall for the entire month. The lack of rain, combined with hot conditions, has depleted water resources and is impacting farmers, wildlife, and public and business water availability, according to Helen Wakeham, Chair of the National Drought Group and Director of Water at the Environment Agency.
July also proved to be exceptionally warm, with the UK experiencing its second warmest July on record at an average temperature of 17.4°C. Wales matched its joint warmest July, with an average of 17.8°C. Furthermore, the UK, England, and Wales all recorded their sunniest Julys on record, according to data dating back to 1910.
The Met Office anticipates that dry conditions will persist in the south of the UK, with potential for isolated showers in central and southern England. Northern areas are expected to see more unsettled weather. Temperatures are forecast to gradually decrease through the week, returning to more average levels for many by the second half of the week.