UK braces for cooler weather but drought persists in driest areas

The United Kingdom is bracing for a shift in weather patterns as a cold front is expected to bring cooler temperatures and some rain from Thursday through the weekend. While this may offer some respite from the recent heatwave, it is unlikely to alleviate the severe drought conditions gripping more than half of England and parts of Wales.

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It was the hottest day for more than two weeks, when 35.2C was also recorded in Cotton in the Elms, Derbyshire, on 10 July.

The nation has endured a summer marked by extreme heat, with temperatures soaring to 35.2C on Wednesday, the hottest day in over two weeks. This follows a record-breaking June, where temperatures reached a provisional 38.0C. The prolonged hot and dry weather has led to drought declarations across large swathes of central, eastern, and southern England, impacting water supplies and increasing the risk of wildfires. Over 20 million people are already subject to hosepipe bans.

While the north-west of the UK has seen more rainfall and is expected to receive the wettest weather from the approaching cold front, the driest areas, such as Wisley in Surrey, which has experienced 42 consecutive dry days, are unlikely to see any substantial precipitation. Forecasts for next week suggest a possibility of more rain, with a chance of some reaching the south, but this remains uncertain.

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More than 20 million people are already under hosepipe bans.

The summer has already seen a record number of days exceeding 34C, surpassing the previous record set in 1976. With 31 days already over 30C, there is still time to potentially break the 1995 record for the number of days above this temperature.

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We have now had 10 days with temperatures over 34C, beating the previous record of seven set in 1976 and equalled in 2020.