Parts of the UK could experience surface flooding this week, the Met Office has warned, as heavy rain is forecast to hit hard, drought-stricken land.
It comes as Wessex Water became the latest utility to announce a hosepipe ban on Monday, August 17, after weeks of heatwaves and dry weather have left many areas facing water shortages. Now more than 27 million people across England are facing water restrictions, while all of Wales and large parts of England remain in drought criteria.
First meaningful rain for a long time
But this week, some areas will have the “first meaningful rain for a long time”, the Met Office has said. A rainy front will begin to sweep down from Northern Ireland and Scotland towards the south of England and Wales on Monday, kicking off a wetter week with cooler conditions that are much closer to average for the time of year.
Then on Thursday, heavy showers are expected to hit the UK, missing some areas but bringing the chance of surface flooding in places where rainfall is particularly intense, the weather agency added. The forecast rain may bring some welcome relief to parched land and fire-fighters tackling wildfires. But it is unlikely to bring an end to widespread drought conditions that have put severe pressure on wildlife, farmers, transport, emergency services infrastructure and water resources.
Forecaster details the week ahead
Mike Silverstone, the Met Office’s deputy chief forecaster, said: “Many areas in England and Wales are desperate for rain, this week some of these areas will see the first meaningful rain for a long time.”
Mr Silverstone said evening showers on Monday would spread further south to western parts of England and Wales as the main front clears into the North Sea. Through Tuesday showers are expected to continue in the north of the country, particularly in the North West, and another area of rain will move into the South West by the evening. This will then likely spread east across the South, bringing the first spell of widespread rain to areas in need the most, he added.
“Thursday will be a day of heavy showers across much of the UK, while some of these will be heavy, some areas will miss them altogether,” Mr Silverstone said. “As some of these showers could be intense, there is a chance of some surface water flooding as the rain falls on very dry and hard ground.”
By Friday, the conditions are expected to turn drier once again through the weekend, and next week is forecast to have more rain.
Wildfires and emergency alerts
It comes as wildfires have ravaged parts of the UK, including in the West Midlands, where a blaze in Stourbridge destroyed 19 homes. The Government sent an emergency alert to mobile devices across England and Wales on Friday warning people to avoid partaking in any activities that can cause a fire. And several fire services have asked people to only call 999 to report a genuine emergency.
No 10 has defended its decision to use the emergency alert system to warn about the risk of wildfires last week after facing backlash in the days since. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's official spokesperson said that it was an "entirely right use" of the emergency alert system, after criticisms that the warning was over the top.
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. Phil Garrigan, NFCC chairman, said progress was “encouraging” as firefighters tackle the blazes but added that the country was “not out of this yet”.
“This has undoubtedly been an incredibly tough period for fire and rescue services, but we are beginning to see incident numbers reduce and that is welcome news. Conditions remain exceptionally dry in many parts of the country and it only takes one spark to start a serious wildfire. We have seen first-hand the devastating consequences these fires can have for communities, wildlife and property. The progress we are seeing is encouraging, but continued public support and responsibility will be critical in the days ahead as firefighters and fire control teams continue their work to keep communities safe.”
