Met Office issues 'thunderstorm and rain' UK weather update for next week amid pause in dry summer

Met Office issues 'thunderstorm and rain' UK weather update for next week amid pause in dry summer Parts of the country could finally see rainfall after a dry and hot July led to droughts across parts of England and Wales The Met Office has revealed rain and thunder could hit parts of the UK in the coming week as Brits could briefly say goodbye to the dry summer the nation has experienced. Britain has been hit with four heatwaves so far in 2026, with droughts also being triggered in some parts of the country in July and continuing into August. The weather agency said low rainfall, a prolonged heatwave and widespread drought conditions led to harsh weather conditions across the country in July. The start of August however could be a different story as some much needed showers could fall over parts of the country next week. Low pressure will extend across the nation from Monday and could lead to rain and even thunderstorms in some places. The north could be hit with heavy rain and the south with lighter showers. Despite the rain update, the start of August is still set to be a warm one for Brits with warm and humid weather set to return in parts of England and Wales, according to Met Office predictions. The weather agency even suggested temperatures could rise over 30c again. The Met Office Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: "A change in weather type early next week will see warmer conditions return across England and Wales but in contrast to much of the summer, this will be associated with showers or perhaps thunderstorms for some places. "However, some parts of the south will only see small amounts of rain. It will stay cooler in the north with the potential for heavy rain to build up, especially over parts of Scotland." This comes after some parts of England recorded less than 1mm of rainfall during the whole of July. This week, half of England was declared to be in drought and the whole of Wales. The seven areas in England to have been in drought were the Thames Valley, East Anglia, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight, Devon & Cornwall, Hertfordshire and the whole of London, The West Midlands and Wessex. This means there have now been three droughts in the UK in the past five years - 2022, 2025 and 2026. Helen Wakeham, Director of Water at the Environment Agency and Chair of the National Drought Group, said: "The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. "A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife, and the economy."