LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) – England and Wales experienced their driest July on record, the Met Office said on Monday, citing provisional data.
• The UK — which comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — received just 35% of average July rainfall, making it the driest July nationally since 1868.
• Southern England saw its driest month ever recorded in a series dating back to 1836.
• England and Wales also had their sunniest month ever in July.
• Multiple heatwaves have contributed to drought conditions affecting the whole of Wales and around half of England.
• Temperatures have already hit new records for May and June in some parts of the country this year.
• An estimated 2,877 people in Britain have died from heat-related causes so far this year.
• “The combination of record-breaking dryness, exceptional warmth and unprecedented sunshine has delivered one of the most notable summer months in our historical records,” Met Office Science Manager Amy Doherty said in a statement.
(Reporting by Muvija M, editing by William James)
