Desert-parched Britain is battling extreme drought as weather charts reveal dry and baron conditions sweeping the country.
Southern England is completely blanketed by "extremely dry" weather reaching the maximum level given by the UK Centre For Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).
It is a stark contrast to the mild to severely wet conditions recorded in the region this time last year.
Wales and the Midlands are struggling through mild to severely dry conditions compared to an overall wet July in 2021.
Even the North, which typically sees more rainfall, has not escaped the 'great thirst' with mild to moderately dry conditions throughout northern England as well as southern and eastern Scotland.
August marks the fourth month that parts of Britain, specifically the south and east, have seen little to no rain, according to government rainfall logs.
The desperately dry south is set to swerve any potential downpours which are forecast to sprinkle Scotland and northern England in the final stretch of the summer.
Weather experts say sustained rainfall is needed over several weeks to return to normal.
Conditions have been consistently dry throughout south east England and Wales since January in a surprising seven-month dry stint despite the trio of powerful storms in February.
The only region to experience drastic improvement this year is western Scotland, which is seeing a mixture of mildly wet and dry conditions compared to a severely dry July last year.
Meteorologists warned this week that "no significant rain" will arrive until the last week of August at the earliest, as hosepipe bans loom in Kent, Hampshire, Sussex, Pembrokeshire and the Isle of Wight.
Rivers are forecast to be low and exceptionally low in southern and central England, according to the UKCEH.
These drought conditions could have dire consequences for farming as soil in many parts of the country is too dry to drill.
Concerns have also been raised over the swathes of crops that need to be drilled by the end of October in time for next year's harvest.
It follows the driest eight months from November to June since 1976 and the most sun-baked July on record for parts of eastern and southern England, according to Met Office figures.
This week shows no sign of cooling off, with temperatures soaring once more to highs of 36C and an amber warning for extreme heat in parts of the country.
Brits could be prevented from watering their gardens and washing their cars with a hose until October with temperatures back on the rise in another heatwave.
The water-saving measures have already been introduced by two water companies while others have warned they may need to follow suit.
Southern Water is asking the Environment Agency for a special permit to allow it to take more water from the River Test after being the first to introduce a hosepipe ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, according to The Times.
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: "There is nothing in the forecast through the next fortnight to break the drought in parts of the country.
"High pressure will move across the UK through the coming days to bring more hot, dry weather especially to southern Britain, although even further north it will be warmer than average.
"It is always uncertain how long high pressure like this will hold out, but it looks like the drought in the south will extend beyond mid-month."
