July 2026 was the driest month in southern England since records began nearly 200 years ago, the Met Office has confirmed, because of course it was. England and Wales also provisionally recorded their driest July since records began in 1836. Wales had its joint warmest July on record for mean temperature, and England recorded its second warmest July. The Met Office said the 'remarkable conditions' came amid a summer marked by multiple heat records - because nothing says 'remarkable' like a landscape resembling a cracker.
The heatwaves have been made more intense and more likely by the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis, which is like the uninvited guest who shows up to every party and sets the curtains on fire. The heatwave that affected western Europe at the end of June was the most severe and widespread ever. July was the sixth consecutive month this year to have above average mean temperatures, with only January so far experiencing mean temperatures below average - so at least winter is still doing its job.
Dr Amy Doherty, a science manager at the Met Office, said: 'The combination of record-breaking dryness, exceptional warmth and unprecedented sunshine has delivered one of the most notable summer months in our historical records.' Translation: we're all melting, but the data is fascinating.
The Environment Agency said the conditions were affecting farmers, wildlife and the amount of water available for public and business use. Half of England and the whole of Wales were last week declared to be officially in drought. In England, 40% of the population are under a hosepipe ban, which is a bit like banning singing in the shower when the house is on fire. The National Farmers' Union has warned the punishing drought could lead to shortages of certain foods in Britain - so stock up on whatever isn't wilted.
A series of huge wildfires, supercharged by the climate crisis, has torched large parts of Europe this summer. Greece is battling one of the worst seasons of wildfires of the past decade, and in France, thousands of evacuees were allowed to return home or to holiday accommodation on Monday after the country's largest wildfire on record. Rivers in Europe are facing extremely low flows. The Danube's water flow has fallen to 1,500 cubic metres per second in Romania, less than a third of its July average.
The Met Office said on Monday England had its driest July on record, with only 6.5mm of rainfall - that's just 10% of its long-term meteorological average for the month, and less than half of the previous record of 13.4mm set in 1911. Wales has also had its driest July on record, with 9.3mm of rainfall - only 9% of its long-term meteorological average for the month. Nineteen counties recorded less than (or equal to) 1mm of rainfall in July, including 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. That's a lot of counties that are now essentially dust.
The Environment Agency said last month water reserves 'should be enough for the coming months until the next period of sustained rainfall' - which is optimistic, given the forecast. While rain is predicted for some parts of England, the Met Office said south-east England would continue to experience little rain. So, if you're in the south-east, maybe invest in a rain dance, or a very large water bottle.