Outbreaks of rain forecast but UK's driest areas still not to see a drop, Met Office warns
The forecasters are expecting another dry day for much of the Midlands, the east and south-east of England
Parts of the UK could be set for some rain but forecasters have warned that the south still may not see a drop.
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England and Wales saw its driest July since records began and another record tumbled on Monday when the temperature reached 33.5C in Wisley in Surrey, marking the 20th day of 2026 when 32C or higher was recorded in the UK.
In the latest heat spike, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has amber heat health alerts in place for the East Midlands, East of England, South East and London until Wednesday morning.
Outbreaks of rain and showers are forecast on Tuesday in western England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
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A mixed start to Tuesday with showers and outbreaks of rain across the west and north 🌧️
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 3, 2026
Staying dry in the south and east with sunny spells â›…
Temperatures climbing here in the sunshine 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/lz5iFS18sr
However, the Met Office has forecast a dry day for much of the Midlands, the east and south-east of England with warm sunshine and high humidity.
There are also yellow heat health alerts for the North West, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber, as the UKHSA warned the latest high temperatures could put extra pressure on the NHS.
Temperatures are expected to decrease gradually in the second half of the week, and there is some more unsettled weather forecast for parts of the UK, including a yellow warning for thunderstorms in Northern Ireland.
But the South East will continue to see little in the way of desperately needed rain, the Met Office has warned.
July was southern England’s driest month ever recorded, with the whole of Wales and half of England plunged into drought.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has demanded urgent action to secure water supplies for homegrown food production.
In July, 19 counties across England recorded effectively no rainfall – 1mm or less – across the whole of the month, the Met Office figures show.
The summer of extreme weather has seen two record-breaking heatwaves, in May and June, that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths, and two more heatwaves in July which have fuelled drought and wildfires.
Firefighters remained at the scene of a heathland blaze in Dunwich, Suffolk, on Monday, and crews declared a major incident as they tackled a huge wildfire in the Rhondda valley in South Wales.
Drone footage showed blackened ground and smoke billowing metres into the air over the valley, where South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) said the fire had affected 150 hectares of land, including forest, scrubland and vegetation.