The British meteorological service Met Office reported that, according to preliminary data, England and Wales experienced the driest July in the last 190 years, and also recorded 'the sunniest month in its history.'
Amy Doherty, scientific director at Met Office, commented that the combination of record drought, extreme heat, and an unprecedented number of sunny hours made this month one of the most memorable in historical records.
In England, only 6.5 millimeters of rain fell in July, which is just 10% of the annual average, while Wales received 9.3 millimeters, or 9% of the norm. In southern England, July was the driest month on record since 1836, registering only 1.9 millimeters of precipitation, equivalent to 3% of the average.
According to the same source, four months during the year (January, February, March, and June) had above-average rainfall, while three months (April, May, and July) were below normal.
Across Great Britain, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, this July was the second hottest since observations began.
On Sunday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced the introduction of an orange warning for several regions of England, including London and the southeast of the country, due to a heatwave expected to last until Wednesday. This level of alert is the second strictest, only surpassed by the red level.
According to Met Office forecasts, daytime temperatures today could reach 31 degrees Celsius, after which a drop to values below 30 degrees is expected until Wednesday.
Data published by UKHSA last week indicated that record heatwaves in May and June led to excess deaths in England, estimated at 2,877 people.
