UK weather: 'Heavy' rain finally forecast in some areas - but 'won't solve drought overnight'

Parts of the country could see heavy rain today following weeks of high temperatures and dry weather that has left many areas in drought.

The Met Office said people across the UK could be set for a "very showery day", with Northern Ireland and areas in western and central Scotland seeing "frequent showers with heavy downpours, hail and thunder".

Forecasters said the showers would be "fewer and further between" in southern areas, although parts of central England and eastern Wales could still experience downpours.

Thursday, meanwhile, could see "very heavy rain" across northern parts of England and Wales early on, with frequent showers in the southwest, according to meteorologist Aidan McGivern.

However, Mr McGivern said the rainfall would be "hit and miss" and "very speckled in nature".

He added that while many people will "at least enjoy the feel of some rain falling out of the sky" this week, it would not be a "huge amount" and is "not going to solve the drought situation overnight".

Five heatwaves since May have left green spaces parched, created dangerous wildfire conditions and triggered hosepipe bans for millions.

The Met Office warned that despite this week bringing the "first meaningful rain for a long time", the sun-baked ground could lead to surface run-off and raise the chances of flooding.

Weeks of low rainfall

The wetter conditions won't be nearly enough to reverse the weeks of below-average rainfall experienced in much of the country.

Wisley in Surrey, for example, has currently had 61 dry days in a row, while Heathrow Airport has measured 55 consecutive dry days, according to Met Office data.

The whole of the UK south of Yorkshire and the Greater Manchester area is currently in drought, according to the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales.

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A new hosepipe ban also came into force on Tuesday affecting Wessex Water's 1.4 million customers in Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.

It is the first time it has imposed a ban since the famous long, hot summer of 1976.

It means more than 27 million people in England now have a restriction on hosepipes – which usually still allows for the use of buckets and water cans.

The country's biggest supplier, Thames Water, has urged people to continue limiting use, saying it's making a "real difference" in maintaining reserves.

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Thames Water said rainfall in its area in July was less than 1mm – just 2% of the long-term average – while customers used around 100 million litres more every day than normal.

However, the firm's water director, Martin Padley, said consumption was down 3% across London and more than 6% in the Thames Valley and Home Counties since its ban came in on 23 July.

"With reservoir levels below where we would expect them to be for this time of year, and demand remaining high, we're asking customers to keep going and continue using only what they need," he said.

"Small changes, such as taking shorter showers, turning off taps and avoiding non-essential water use outdoors, all help reduce pressure on our network while our teams continue working around the clock to find and fix leaks."

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