England and Wales have each recorded their driest July since records began, the Met Office has confirmed, with southern England posting its driest month ever measured.
In a series dating back to 1836, England received just 6.5mm of rain across the whole of July, only 10 per cent of its long-term average for the month and less than half the previous record of 13.4mm set in 1911. Wales fared only slightly better, with 9.3mm of rainfall, or nine per cent of its long-term average.
Southern England was the driest region of all, with just 1.9mm of rain falling over the entire month, making it the driest month ever recorded there.
Met Office Science Manager Dr Amy Doherty said July 2026 had been a truly remarkable month in the UK's climate record. She said both England and Wales had provisionally recorded their driest July on record, with Wales also registering its joint warmest, while southern England had seen its driest month ever recorded and England and Wales had each experienced their sunniest month ever observed. Doherty said the combination of record-breaking dryness, exceptional warmth and unprecedented sunshine had delivered one of the most notable summer months in the historical record.
UK-wide rainfall figures
Across the whole of the United Kingdom, July was the third driest on record, with 28.9mm of rainfall, just 35 per cent of the long-term average and the driest July nationally since 1868.
England and Wales were exceptionally dry, but the picture was different further north. Northern Ireland recorded its eighth driest July on record with 26.9mm of rain, while Scotland received 69 per cent of its average rainfall, making it the only UK nation not to come close to breaking records.
At county level, no fewer than 19 counties recorded less than 1mm of rain across the whole month: Berkshire, Dorset, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Surrey, Warwickshire and West Sussex.
Effect on water supplies
Helen Wakeham, Chair of the National Drought Group and Director of Water at the Environment Agency, said dry weather depletes water supplies while hot conditions mean people use more of it. She said this was a difficult combination, and its effects were being felt by farmers, wildlife and the amount of water available for public and business use.
Wakeham said all sectors were taking action and thanked the public for following restrictions where they were in place, to ensure there was enough water for everyone over the summer. She said the Environment Agency wanted people to stay safe and hydrated during the hot weather, but that every drop saved was a drop more for nature and agriculture.
Record warmth and sunshine
With another heatwave underway at the time of the report, July was also exceptionally warm. The UK saw its second warmest July on record overall, with an average temperature of 17.4C.
Wales had its joint warmest July, matching 2006 and 1983 with an average temperature of 17.8C.
There was also record-breaking sunshine. In a series dating back to 1910, the UK, England and Wales all recorded their sunniest Julys on record.
What happens next
The Met Office said the dry conditions were set to continue for people living in southern parts of the UK.
The Met Office said the week ahead would bring more unsettled weather to parts of the UK, though heavy and persistent rain would generally be focused on northern areas. It said those further to the southeast would continue to see little rain, though isolated showers were possible at times in central and southern England.
The Met Office added that temperatures would gradually decrease in the second half of the week, with any remaining warmth increasingly confined to the far east of England on Tuesday, and a return to more average temperatures for many areas later in the week.
