It’s pouring down, but guess what? There’s still a drought

The drought is not over, the Environment Agency said today, despite many regions of England and Wales already receiving more than average rainfall for June.

The Met Office is warning that parts of the country could be hit by a heatwave by the end of the weekend and early next week, with temperatures topping 30C (86F) in some places.

It has issued a heat-health alert for the East Midlands, east of England and the South East, warning of the dangers of high temperatures, particularly for the very old, the very young and those with chronic conditions.

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The predicted hot weather will come after days of unsettled conditions.

So far this month, some areas have already had well above average rainfall for June, with the South West receiving 130% of the normal level and the South East having 118% so far.

Even central and eastern England, the areas worst hit by months of dry weather, have had 75% and 83% respectively of the month’s average rainfall so far in June.

After months of little rain, the unsettled weather does not mean the drought in parts of eastern England, or the risk of it elsewhere, is over, the Environment Agency said.

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Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and western Norfolk remain in a state of drought.

While many rivers have responded to the rainfall, there are still a number below normal levels for this time of year, including the Dove and the Derwent in central England, Ely Ouse in East Anglia, Malmesbury Avon in the South West and the Kennet and Coln in the Thames Valley.

There has been some relief for farmers in Kent, however, with the Environment Agency putting on hold notices issued to land managers in Walland and Romney Marsh to stop abstracting water from June 20.

Trevor Bishop, head of water resources at the Environment Agency, said: “The wetter weather has helped to lessen impacts on the environment this week.

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“However, after months of little rain, the recent unsettled weather does not mean the drought or risk of drought is over.

“Without further sustained rainfall, river flows will quickly drop again and our teams remain on alert to respond to the environmental impacts of drought.”

He urged people to continue to use water wisely, especially during the current dry period.

The Met Office said the hot temperatures forecast for the coming days will peak across East Anglia, the East Midlands and south east England during Monday, with highs of 32C (90F) possible.

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Head of health forecasting at the Met Office, Patrick Sachon, said: “There is the possibility of daytime and night-time temperatures reaching trigger thresholds.

“These temperatures, together with high humidity, pose a risk to vulnerable people, such as those with underlying health problems.”

But the next few days will see varied weather across the UK as a whole, with some places experiencing unsettled conditions and temperatures in the low 20s.

Chief forecaster at the Met Office, Andy Page, added: “There is a 60% chance of some places in East Anglia, the East Midlands and south east England reaching 30C on Sunday and Monday.

“However, it is important to note that not all places will see the hot weather. Cooler weather is expected to spread across all parts of the UK by the middle of next week.”