The Met Office has named 70 areas across the UK that will face rain on Wednesday, as new weather maps show substantial precipitation reaching the country from the early hours. The rain is expected to bring the "first meaningful rain for a long time" after weeks of heatwaves and dry conditions.
Rain to Hit Northern Regions First
The south of Scotland and the north west of England are likely to be hit first, with the rain then spreading to eastern and south eastern areas. Wales is also set to see some rain this week.
The Met Office said: "Wednesday brings frequent showers across Northern Ireland, Scotland and perhaps parts of northern England, with some of these heavy enough to produce hail and thunder." Southern and eastern areas should see a mixture of sunshine and scattered showers, the forecaster added.
Cooler Conditions and Drought Concerns
Following the fifth heatwave of the summer, this week is forecast to be wetter with cooler conditions closer to average for the time of year. While the rain may bring some relief to parched land and firefighters tackling wildfires, it is unlikely to end widespread drought conditions that have put severe pressure on wildlife, farmers, transport, emergency services infrastructure and water resources.
A hosepipe ban has started for all of Wessex Water's 1.4 million customers across Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire. It is the first ban the company has put in place for 50 years, since the summer of 1976.
Dry Spells and Wildfire Records
Among the driest areas in the UK are Wisley in Surrey, which has recorded 61 consecutive dry days since June 17, and Heathrow in Greater London, which has measured 55 consecutive dry days since June 23, according to Met Office data.
In an update on Monday, the National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026 so far – a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.
Full List of Areas Facing Rain
Northern Ireland: Belfast, Derry/Londonderry
Scotland: Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee
North west of England: Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Chester, Lancaster, Preston, Carlisle, Bolton, Stockport, Wigan, Rochdale, Oldham, Bury, Altrincham, Blackpool, Blackburn, Burnley
North east of England: Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool
Yorkshire and the Humber: Bradford, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield, York
The Midlands: Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent, Northampton, Shrewsbury
East and south east of England: Cambridge, Colchester, Ipswich, Luton, Norwich, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea, Brighton & Hove, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton
South West: Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, Plymouth, Poole, Swindon
Wales: Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bangor, Wrexham
