The UK's driest village has not received any rain in nearly a month as residents adapt to a new way of life. Sweltering heats in the summer's heatwaves has meant those in the area have adapted to "Mediterranean lifestyles" as a way of coping with the relentless weather.
The village of Histon has seen a mere 196.4mm of rainfall since January 1. According to Met Office readings, this makes it the driest place in the UK. Residents have since had to adapt to this lack of rainfall and ongoing dry spell, with the 4,580-strong population saying the area has "slowed down" as a result of the heat.
Residents adjust to dry conditions
Speaking with the Daily Mail, resident Jo Catterick, 62, said: "I'm living like a middle-aged Greek woman - where you see them close the shutters at 11am and get all their jobs done first thing in the morning."
"They live their lives more in the evening, which I think people are doing much more now, it's much less busy in the day." No rain has been recorded in the area since June 26 and its total rainfall for the year is just 0.4mm more than 2025. Histon received just 196mm of water over 200 days in 2025. So far this year, it has received 196.4mm in 197 days.
Met Office explains dry spell
The Met Office has since explained why parts of the country have been drier than usual, and it is because of the high pressure and heatwaves. The Met Office site reads: "High pressure has been the dominant feature of the UK's weather pattern in recent weeks, bringing prolonged spells of sunshine, light winds and very limited rainfall. The settled pattern has allowed temperatures to climb well above average, with several parts of the UK experiencing their third heatwave of the year so far."
"As the high-pressure becomes less dominant, there will be an increasing chance of weather fronts, showers and thunderstorms reaching parts of the UK. However, confidence in the timing, location and extent of any wetter conditions remains relatively low at this range."
There could be rain in the weeks ahead but for now, the forecast shows a continuation of a warm, dry period across the UK.
