Drought conditions may worsen before improving as little rain in sight

Drought conditions in the United Kingdom may worsen before they improve, according to recent forecasts. Eastern, central, and southern England, as well as Wales, are among the areas expected to face worsening drought. The entire country is now under a drought declaration by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), following a similar declaration by the Environment Agency.

High temperatures are causing the natural environment to deteriorate. The coming days will offer little relief, with only some rain forecast for Friday and into the weekend. By Friday, northern areas of the UK may see scattered, heavy showers. The rest of the UK, particularly South-east England under drought conditions, will have a warm day with variable cloud cover and sunny spells.

South Wales may experience isolated showers during the weekend. While some forecast models suggest southern areas could receive useful rain, it is uncertain. The ideal scenario for ending drought conditions would be a prolonged spell of rain over several days and weeks, but the forecasted rain is not expected to significantly alleviate the situation.

Wales has received only 8% of its long-term average rainfall for July, putting it on track to be the driest July in 190 years. The toll on the environment, land, and agriculture is evident, with wildfires still impacting various habitats. England's July has seen just 7% of expected rainfall, with southern England receiving only 1%.

The Environment Agency warns that high temperatures are making water usage exceed replenishment rates. Drought conditions are expected to worsen before improving in August, with warmer and drier-than-average weather forecasted.