A hugely mixed weather picture is developing across the UK as potential water shortages loom over some areas — while others face flood warnings amid torrential downpours.
The extreme range of conditions comes as the nation awaits the first hosepipe ban of the summer, with rainfall remaining perilously low in some parts of southern England following July's record-breaking 40C heatwave.
Residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight could be hit with £1000 fines from supplier Southern Water for excessive water use from Friday, August 5 as reservoir levels begin to dip.
And temperatures in the south look to remain comfortably high with very little in the way of rain to come, according to the Met Office, who predict daytime highs of 27C in London and the southeast on Wednesday (August 3).
It's a trend that independent meteorology agency Netweather expect to continue well into the middle of the month, with Ian Simpson's forecast for Monday 8 to Sunday 14 reading: "Rainfall will be well below normal everywhere and there is potential for much of the country to see no rain at all, exacerbating existing water shortages.
"Sunshine is expected to be well above average almost everywhere, with exceptions tending to be limited to North Sea coastal fringes, mainly in East Anglia."
More northern areas of Britain however face the opposite problem of too much water, as river levels remain high following several days of thunderstorms and heavy showers.
Two flood alerts remain in place from Natural Resources Wales on Wednesday for areas around the river Conwy from Dolwyddelan, as well as the Glaslyn and Dwyryd Catchment.
Despite recent storms, the summer of 2022 looks likely to go down in history as one of sweltering heat and unusually low amounts of rainfall, according to a climate expert.
Detailing the institution's findings that last month was the driest July in England since 1935, Dr Mark McCarthy of the National Climate Information Centre said: “July 2022 has been a significantly dry month for Southern England, only 10.5mm of rain has been provisionally recorded on average, less than the previous record of 10.9mm set in 1911.
"The dominant weather pattern for the month has only allowed interludes of rain into northern areas of the UK, with areas further south largely getting any rainfall from isolated and fleeting showers in a month that will ultimately be remembered for extreme heat.”
UK Weather forecast
Today:
A band of cloud and increasingly patchy light rain and drizzle will slowly move southeastwards across England. Sunny spells developing, and turning hot in the far southeast, else less humid than recently. Fresher further northwest with sunshine and showers.
Tonight:
Bursts of showery rain affecting Northern Ireland and Scotland, heavy in places. Dry elsewhere with clear spells, and somewhat cooler then recent nights.
Thursday:
Dry with sunny spells in the south and feeling much fresher, though still warm. Scattered showers further north, especially across northern Scotland where some may be heavy.
