Met Office records indicate England and Wales are likely to have had their driest July since records began 190 years ago.

England and Wales are on course for their driest July since records began 190 years ago. The Met Office reports that England has seen just 5.6mm of rainfall up to 30 July – just 8% of its long-term meteorological average for the month and less than half of the previous record of 13.4mm set in 1911. For Wales it is 7.9mm of rainfall, also 8% of its long-term average for the month and almost a third of the previous record of 22.6mm, again set in 1911. The UK as a whole is currently on track for its third driest July, and driest nationally since 1868. It comes after an official drought was declared across more than half of England and all of Wales. On Wednesday the Environment Agency declared a "flash drought" across more than half of England, where water is being used up much faster than nature can replenish it. Wisley in Surrey has seen a 44 consecutive days without recording any rainfall as of 30 July. Scotland does not declare drought but monitors "water scarcity". Some parts of eastern Scotland are in the most extreme category of "significant scarcity", according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.