Cooler conditions on way for parts of UK - but still no rain for drought-hit areas

Cooler temperatures and moderate rain are forecast for parts of the United Kingdom from Thursday into the weekend as a cold front moves across the region. Despite the change, areas already under drought are unlikely to receive significant precipitation. The latest heatwave peaked on Wednesday, with the Met Office recording a high of 35.2 °C at Writtle in Essex. The same temperature was observed on 10 July at Cotton in the Elms, Derbyshire, marking the hottest reading in over two weeks. The reading fell short of the record set last month, when a provisional UK June temperature of 37.7 °C was later revised to 38.0 °C after verification. That peak occurred at Lingwood in Norfolk on the 26th and remained the year’s highest temperature to date. On the same day, drought was declared across more than half of England as prolonged hot, dry weather strained water supplies. The Environment Agency’s announcement covered much of central, eastern and southern England, signalling that further restrictions on water use could follow. Impacts already evident include reduced river flows, early harvesting and an elevated wildfire risk. More than 20 million people remain under hosepipe bans. Natural Resources Wales reported that North Wales and the Upper Severn river basin entered drought conditions the previous week. Scotland does not issue drought declarations but monitors water scarcity; parts of eastern Scotland are classified as experiencing “significant scarcity,” the highest level according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Northern Ireland is not presently affected by drought.