Rain forecast to continue but England and Wales still in drought
'Wettest period since February' has done little to alleviate the dry conditions
Wales and most of England are still officially in drought, despite the UK experiencing the wettest week since February.
Hosepipe bans that had previously been publicised are still in force, companies have said, on the back of a summer that had five heatwaves and was, according to the Met Office, the hottest in British history.
Tuesday has been a wet affair, with rain seen all morning and into the afternoon in London, where the heat has been most severe.
The Environment Agency has said that the week to the end of August and beginning of September brought the most amount of rain in the UK since February, with central England, the most affected, getting 48mm.
The agency has not made any changes to its list of places in drought, although more rain is said to be on the way.
Heavy rain clears the south east later đ§ď¸
— Met Office (@metoffice) September 8, 2026
Sunny spells developing â
Showers and strong winds in the north, some being thundery đ pic.twitter.com/2KcSV2i6CR
UK weather forecast
The Met Office said autumn had marked a âsignificant change of weather type from summer, which was dominated by dry conditionsâ.
It said that the UK will have more rain in the forecast for the coming week, and some of this is likely to be heavy, especially in western areas.
âThis weekâs forecast is dominated by a regular drumbeat of clearer periods interspersed with wetter spells," Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said.
As it stands, no heatwave has been forecast for this month, but the Met Office has said more hot days could come in September.
Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said: âA few days or even weeks of wetter weather cannot reverse the impacts of several months of exceptionally dry conditions.
âDrought conditions will continue until we receive sustained rainfall across the country, and we still all have a role to play in conserving precious water supplies.
âWe ask people to carry on following the restrictions, where in place, and continue to save water such as by turning off taps when brushing teeth and using an eco-setting on household appliances."