July set to be driest on record for England and Wales after relentless heatwaves
July has been recorded as the driest month on record for England and Wales, with rainfall at just 7% of the long‑term average and only 1% in southern England. The severe dryness has triggered widespread drought declarations, hosepipe bans for about 23 million people, and a record 393 wildfires in July. Climate scientists warn that such extreme heat and reduced precipitation are likely to become more common, projecting up to 60% drier summers by 2070.
- ▪Half of England and all of Wales are officially in drought as July records unprecedented low rainfall.
- ▪England received only 7% of its long‑term average July rainfall, and southern England just 1%.
- ▪Approximately 23 million people in England and Wales are under hosepipe bans due to the water shortage.
- ▪Firefighters responded to 393 wildfires in July, the busiest month on record for the UK.
- ▪Scientists say UK summers could become 1‑6 °C hotter and up to 60% drier by 2070 if climate change continues unchecked.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/02/july-set-to-be-driest-on-record-for-england-and-wales-after-relentless-heatwaves |
| Publication time | Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:12:54 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-02T10:20:41.006Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-02T10:20:41.006Z |
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Stonehenge in Wiltshire is one of many green, grassy landscapes dried out by the extreme hot weather this summer. Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersView image in fullscreenStonehenge in Wiltshire is one of many green, grassy landscapes dried out by the extreme hot weather this summer. Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersDroughtJuly set to be driest on record for England and Wales after relentless heatwavesClimate scientist urges better planning as southern England had just 1% of long-term average rainfall last monthBethan McKernanSun 2 Aug 2026 06.12 EDTLast modified on Sun 2 Aug 2026 06.14 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleHalf of England and the whole of Wales are officially in drought and July is set to be the driest month on record as extreme heat intensified by the climate crisis…
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