London is experiencing a 'flash drought' amid the fourth scorching heatwave of the year, with low rainfall and high temperatures drying up grass, prompting wildfires and leading to hosepipe bans for millions of people. The capital's landmarks are looking increasingly parched, but conditions are set to make a turn, according to BBC Weather.
Rain forecast for early August
BBC Weather experts predict light showers overnight on Monday, August 3, through to Tuesday afternoon, becoming heavier from around midday on Wednesday. Temperatures will drop to highs of 25C-28C, a far cry from the 34C recorded in some areas of London in late July.
Further intermittent rainfall is expected across Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, followed by a period of grey skies. However, the Met Office believes dry weather will likely continue, with cloudy conditions and patches of sunshine for the rest of the week, and highs of around 25C-27C.
Met Office long-range forecast
The Met Office's long-range forecast states: "This means there is a greater chance of some rain or showers for areas of the UK which have seen prolonged dry weather, although rainfall amounts are likely to be fairly modest. Just a low chance of a deeper area of low pressure, which would bring more widespread and heavier rain along with some strong winds."
Beyond that, it will likely become mostly dry again as mid-August approaches, with temperatures closer to average and potential for warmer interludes, especially in the south, though perhaps not the extreme heat seen in recent weeks.
Drought conditions across England
Seven areas of central, eastern and southern England – around half the country – are in drought, including all of London, East Anglia, Hertfordshire, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex (Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire).
With a few days left in July, it could become the driest July on record, with England receiving just 7% of expected rainfall and southern England seeing only 1%. Dry spring and summer weather, combined with a series of heatwaves, has put pressure on water resources. Almost a third of England is in "prolonged dry weather" status, with only the North East and Yorkshire seeing normal conditions. There have been three droughts in the past five years: 2022, 2025 and 2026.
