With parks turning from lush green to crispy yellow, fears of supermarket shortages (due to poor crop yields) and wildfires breaking out in certain parts of the country, the UK is currently feeling the far-reaching effects of one of its driest spells in years.
In fact, recent Met Office figures show that parts of England have experienced the longest unbroken spell without recorded rainfall this century. In London, it's the longest dry spell in eight years. Some locations, such as Wisley in Surrey, have seen as many as 33 consecutive dry days.
As of Monday, eight areas of the UK – East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and London, Wessex, Thames, Solent and the South Downs – have entered the "prolonged dry weather", the stage before drought.
According to the Met Office, this summer has seen three widespread heatwaves and the longest run of dry days in central England since 1995.
This particularly balmy summer – with England receiving just 3% of its long-term average July rainfall and parts of the south and east seeing no rain at all – follows an exceptionally dry spring, when the UK received only 40% of its average spring rainfall.
Now with the hosepipe ban in full force and some parts of the UK moving closer to drought status, many of us are wondering (and desperately pleading for our plants): when will it rain again?
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When will it rain next in the UK?
The good news is that some parts of the UK may experience rain as soon as Saturday 25th July, according to the Met Office – although, experts stress that this rainfall may not be significant enough to make a huge difference in many areas of the country.
Met Office chief forecaster Steve Willington said on the official website: “The high pressure has been a key feature of the UK’s weather forecast over the last few weeks, bringing above-average temperatures and extremely dry conditions for many.
“However, we will begin to see a modest change as a weak weather front pushes south across the UK on Saturday, bringing some much-needed rain, albeit light and mainly concentrated in the north and west. Behind the front a showery air mass will bring potentially heavy showers some of which may be thundery.”
A band of rain is expected to hit Scotland’s north west coast in the early hours of Saturday morning and then move slowly southwards as the weekend progresses.
The Met Office forecast confirms eight regions are expected to see heavy rainfall this weekend – these include Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, North west England, South west England, North east England, Yorkshire and the Humber, Midlands, and East Anglia and central England.
However, London and the South East won’t see heavy downpours this weekend – just a few scattered showers are expected to hit the capital and surrounding counties.
Greg Wolverson added: “Although there is a return to rain in the forecast, we have just come out of an exceptionally dry spell and the forecast rain is unlikely to be widespread or substantial.
"Many areas are likely to continue experiencing prevailing dry conditions for the foreseeable future, especially in southern England.”
Lizzie is the multiplatform editor at Country Living, where you’ll find her writing about unique property market finds and dreamy UK staycation spots. Her specialisms include interiors, property, wildlife, travel, slow living and more. Previously, she’s written for Metro, Evening Standard, Ideal Home, Woman & Home and various other home and lifestyle titles. Lizzie studied English Literature at University of Liverpool, where she also was a writer and editor for her uni paper.
