Parched, drought-ridden Britain will finally see some rainfall this week as the first showers in months descend over the country, but hitting some areas more than others.
Met Office reveals rain forecast
Dozens of areas and millions of people haven't seen a drop of rain for more than two months, with the heatwave having drained the country of its water reserves, rendering the green and pleasant countryside beige and dry. The record dryness will be broken in part on Monday, according to the Met Office, which has revealed exactly which areas will finally see rainfall.
According to the agency, which recently revealed July 2026 saw historic low rain totals, 10 key areas will see showers on Monday afternoon.
Areas set for the most rain
The Met Office announced with a map posted on X, formerly Twitter, that much of the country would see rain on Monday, largely in very limited showers with an output of less than 0.1 millimetres. But some areas will see more significant totals, it said.
The forecasters predicted in their post: "Rain is on the way from Monday afternoon, bringing a change after recent dry weather. The wettest conditions are likely in western and northern areas, while parts of the south and southeast may miss out on the higher totals." The agency's forecast map reveals that 10 areas will see the most rain, upwards of 5 millimetres (0.20 of an inch).
The areas seeing those totals are as follows:
- Scottish Highlands
- Grampian / Aberdeenshire
- Perthshire and Kinross
- Central Scotland
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Cumbria
- Northumberland
- Pennine Yorkshire
- North Wales
- Northern Ireland
Record dryness and drought conditions
The news comes after the Met Office announced earlier this month that the UK had experienced a "record July" with both England and Wales experiencing the driest climates since records began. Just 6.5mm of rain was recorded in England last month, 10 percent of the home nation's long-term meteorological average.
The amount was also less than half of the previous record of 13.4mm, which was set in 1011, while in Wales, there was just 9.3mm of rainfall, nine percent of the home nation's long-term meteorological average.
The severe lack of rain has seen more than half the country forced to declare drought conditions, and a hosepipe ban has been handed down to millions of households. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates said the conditions have left many "desperate for some rain to alleviate the impacts of the prolonged dry spell".
Also desperate for some rain are firefighters currently working across England and Wales to combat dozens of igniting wildfires.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the conditions had turned Britain into a "tinderbox", and his Government sent out an alert on Friday telling people there was a "very high risk of wildfires" nationwide, and urging Brits not to engage in activities like lighting bonfires or barbecues. It came after it was revealed 19 homes were destroyed and 18 damaged in the town of Stourbridge, in the West Midlands.
He urged members of the public to take the warning, which blared from phones on Friday evening, seriously, and said it was triggered by firefighters.
