The UK Met Office released provisional data on the 3rd, showing that due to heatwaves and almost no rainfall, England and Wales experienced their driest July on record this year.
The Met Office pointed out that July 2026 is the driest year since records began in 1836, and it was also “the sunniest month in the history of England and Wales.”
Met Office Chief Scientist Doherty said: “A combination of record-breaking drought, exceptional heat, and unprecedented sunshine has resulted in one of the most memorable summers in our historical records.”
Total rainfall for England in July was 6.5 millimeters, only 10% of the seasonal average; Wales saw 9.3 millimeters, just 9% of normal levels. In southern England, July was also the driest month on record since 1836, with rainfall at just 1.9 millimeters, only 3% of the average.
For the whole UK (including Scotland and Northern Ireland), this was the second hottest July on record. The consequences of this extreme heat are especially apparent in agriculture.
Bradshaw, president of the UK's main farming union, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), told Sky News on the 4th that “although it’s only just the start of August, the harvest is already finished,” a situation “that would have been unimaginable even ten years ago.”
The UK Met Office forecasts that afternoon temperatures in London will reach 31°C on the 3rd, dropping below 30°C by the 5th.