Rain is finally forecast for parts of the UK after the driest July in England and Wales since records began, but some areas of southern England may still not see a drop, forecasters have said.
Record heat and health alerts
Another temperature record tumbled on Monday when the mercury hit 33.5C in Wisley, Surrey, marking the 20th day of 2026 when 32C or higher was recorded in the UK. This exceeds the previous record of 19 days set in 1995, according to the Met Office.
During the latest heat spike, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has amber heat health alerts in place for the East Midlands, East of England, South East and London until Wednesday morning. Yellow heat health alerts are also active for the North West, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber.
Rain on the way for some
Outbreaks of rain and showers are forecast on Tuesday in Northern Ireland, Scotland, western England and Wales. However, the Met Office predicts a dry day for much of the Midlands, the east and south-east of England, with warm sunshine and high humidity.
Temperatures are expected to decrease gradually in the second half of the week, with more unsettled weather forecast for parts of the UK, including a yellow warning for thunderstorms in Northern Ireland. But the South East will continue to see little in the way of desperately needed rain, the Met Office has warned.
Drought and wildfires
July was southern England’s driest month ever recorded, with the whole of Wales and half of England plunged into drought. Farming leaders have warned it is “one of the most severe droughts many farmers and growers have lived through”, with poor yields, struggles to access water for fruit and vegetables, and livestock keepers using winter feed for their animals.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has demanded urgent action to secure water supplies for homegrown food production. In July, 19 counties across England recorded effectively no rainfall – 1mm or less – across the whole month, according to Met Office figures.
The summer of extreme weather has seen two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths, and two more in July that have fuelled drought and wildfires.
Firefighters remained at the scene of a heathland blaze in Dunwich, Suffolk, on Monday, while crews declared a major incident as they tackled a huge wildfire in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. Drone footage showed blackened ground and smoke billowing metres into the air over the valley, where South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) said the fire had affected 150 hectares of land, including forest, scrubland and vegetation.
