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Will it rain today? A useful rainfall rain radar map for the UK. You can easily pan and zoom on the map to view the exact local rainfall.

August 14, 2026England received only 10% of its average July rainfall and some areas may just get the odd shower for rest of August England has experienced its driest July since records began in 1836, receiving only 6.5mm of rainfall – 10% of the country’s long-term meteorological average for the month. Wales also experienced its driest-ever July, while Northern Ireland recorded its eighth driest. Scotland was the only country in the UK not to set new records but still received only 69% of its average rainfall for July compared with the long-term average. Southern England faced the worst of the dry conditions with some areas, including the Sussex coast, receiving less than 0.2mm of rain in July. This resulted in widespread low moisture content within the soil, enabling temperatures to reach the high 30s celsius. Looking ahead, despite notable spells of rain in the north, parts of southern England may receive only the odd shower for the rest of August. Throughout the summer, forecast models have hinted at more unsettled weather reaching the south-east of England at a 10-day range. However, as time edged closer the rain was largely confined to north-western parts of Britain, failing to reach the south-east with any significance. With much uncertainty within forecast models, the risk of this dry period persisting is not out of the question. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 14, 2026Doctors and nurses describe rise in fall injuries and other heat-related problems on top of stifling working conditions “The big thing A&E doctors are seeing during extreme heat now is falls in the elderly,” says Dr Adrian Boyle, an A&E consultant at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge. “During this summer’s five heatwaves I’ve seen elderly people get light-headed and dizzy and fall down a whole flight of stairs and break multiple bones, purely because of the heat. The last fall down stairs because of the heat resulted in multiple broken ribs, a wrist and her lower leg. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 14, 2026Weather forecasts once gave Britons something safe to chat about. Not any more, and that’s a problem for the experts – indeed, for all of us In this fragmented but supposedly mild country, watching and talking about the weather forecast is meant to be a reassuring, unifying activity. Collectively, we have created and maintained a national climate narrative of small disappointments and pleasures. The first weather forecaster to appear on British TV, George Cowling, made his debut on the BBC in January 1954, predicting that “tomorrow would be rather windy”, but “a good day to hang out the washing”. For most of the 72 years since, such brief, carefully calibrated broadcasts have provided people from Aberdeen to Penzance with practical information, small talk and minor grumbles about essentially the same situation: living in a country where the weather is constantly changing, in a paradoxically unchanging way. Yet like the traditional British climate, that common weather culture may now be evaporating. “Met Office considers issuing red ‘extreme heat warning’ across Britain while nation enjoys ‘incredible summer’,” said the headline above the forecast on the GB News website on Monday, caught between terror and delight at the latest heatwave. As the climate crisis has affected this country in more and more unmistakable but uneven ways, TV weather forecasters have increasingly struggled to find the right language to describe this transformation’s daily consequences. Their struggle influences and exemplifies that of many Britons to understand, and work out what we think about, the apparent end of the weather patterns we expected to shape our whole lives. Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 14, 2026From chefs to paramedics, workers tell the Guardian how they are coping and unions outline the changes needed in the workplace In the sweltering kitchen of the Plimsoll pub in north London, the head chef, Joshua Swinney, has a frozen tea towel wrapped around his neck to combat the heat. As temperatures exceeded 35C (95F) in the capital, workers who were not lucky enough to be in air-conditioned offices sweltered in the heat. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 13, 2026Kew Gardens in London hits 38.1C and 40C-plus recorded in parts of Europe with continent trapped under heat dome Europe heatwave – latest updates The UK has recorded its hottest day of the year so far with a provisional temperature of 38.1C in southern England as Europe sweltered under a major heat dome. As temperatures on the continent surpassed 40C at the peak of the summer’s fifth heatwave, the thermometer at Kew Gardens in west London on Thursday surpassed the previous high of 38C on 28 June, the Met Office said. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 13, 2026Support the RMetS response to the Natural History GCSE review Aminat.Olasunk… 13 August 2026 The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) welcomes the Natural History GCSE proposed subject content as a qualification that is uniquely placed to foster young people’s engagement with an appreciation of the natural world. In particular, we support that the subject is designed to ‘complement study of biology and geography GCSEs’. However, we suggest this could be broadened to ‘science’ rather than simply ‘biology’, as, for example, some students will be taking double award science. In association with this, we also support that ‘while climate change is not the primary focus of the qualification, students will be able to build on learning in other subjects and apply this knowledge to the study of the natural world, including how species respond to changing environmental conditions.’ Although the draft revised science and geography subject contents are not expected to be published within the consultation period of this GCSE, we anticipate that climate change education will be strengthened in both subject areas. Therefore, it is important that that Natural History GCSE builds on, rather than duplicates, learning in those subjects. To this end, we recommend that the Natural History GCSE subject content should specifically develop systematic understanding of the interactions between weather, climate and climate change and the natural world, through an understanding of: How climate determines biomes. The interaction of extreme weather (including extremes of rainfall and temperature) and weather-related hazards (such as floods, droughts and fires) with habitats and species. The impact of current and projected climate change as well as climate mitigation solutions with habitats and species and how negative impacts can be reduced or avoided. The role of the natural world in the climate system, including the role of nature-based solutions (adaptation and mitigation) to climate change. It is also important to clearly delineate the natural processes that controlled the interrelationship between weather, climate and climate change and the natural world before the Anthropocene, and the more recent human ones. We support the inclusion of fieldwork and observation in the proposed content and recommend that this includes simple weather observations or measurements. We support the broad range of data skills included but recommend that wider skills such as critical evaluation are also included. We encourage our members, partners and other supporters to echo our points above in their own responses to the proposed new GCSE subject content. As with all such consultations, the volume of responses matters. The public consultation closes on 4th September. The proposed subject content can be viewed, and responses submitted, using the link below Submit Your Response 13 August 2026 Education [...] Read more...
August 13, 2026Biological factors mean a child’s core temperature rises faster than an adult’s – and that can result in a medical emergency Children and babies are more vulnerable in heatwaves than healthy adults. As temperatures rise again, how do we keep children safe? Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 13, 2026The science behind summer storms – and why they have yet to break the hot spell gripping the country “The English summer: three fine days and a thunderstorm,” George II is reputed to have said, although the line has also been attributed to Charles II and others. It was not recorded until 1867, by which time it was already in common circulation. A brief hot spell ending in a thunderstorm is a familiar pattern, but it is not what we have experienced in recent weeks. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 12, 2026RCN calls for more air conditioners as Burnham faces pressure to recognise urgency of adaptation to climate crisis Nurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned, as Andy Burnham promised to grapple with “the bigger questions” of climate adaptation. Amid growing pressure from Labour backbenches to fully acknowledge the urgency of adaptation measures as the climate crisis bites, Burnham said he was for now focusing on the immediate crises caused by an ongoing summer of extreme heat. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 12, 2026Parts of country face fifth heatwave of the summer with highs of 38C forecast this week We have some comments from the Liberal Democrats and Green party on the Cobra emergency meeting scheduled for later today. While welcoming the government’s announcement, the Lib Dem environment spokesperson Pippa Heylings said emergency meetings were not enough to put out fires or protect our communities, saying “we urgently need a national strategy to make the UK climate-ready”. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 12, 2026High temperatures continue with forecasts reaching 38C on Thursday and wildfires stretching emergency services The prime minister will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Wednesday in response to extreme heat, which has caused wildfires and plunged many parts of Britain into drought. Andy Burnham will meet with ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK on Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures of 33C forecast, and up to 38C on Thursday. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 12, 2026Verdant thinktank says cost could top £25bn a year by 2030 and calls for maximum temperature for working and urban redesign to cool down cities Repeated debilitating heatwaves this summer are likely to have cost the UK economy more than £4bn in lost economic output by the end of July, new analysis shows. Green thinktank Verdant had suggested June’s unseasonally hot weather had an economic cost of £2.36bn. Updating its assessment to include last month’s high temperatures, it finds a £4.4bn hit to output. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 11, 2026Key tourist route closed and residents rallying round as battle against wildfire expected to go on for several days The battle to contain a large wildfire spreading across the New Forest will go on for several days, experts have said, as wind changes and a desiccated landscape fuel the flames. Smoke billowed above the deserted A31 road, the main tourist route into the New Forest national park where tens of thousands of families are on holiday, late on Tuesday while a helicopter flew above the blaze. Firefighters at the scene said they were trying to contain several hotspots across the more than 100 hectares (247 acres) of dried heathland as winds swirled over the area. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 11, 2026How the RMetS Legacies Fund Enabled My Attendance at the RMetS conference week 2026 in Exeter Aminat.Olasunk… 11 August 2026 Arundhati shares how the RMetS Legacies fund supported her in-person attendance at the RMetS Early Career and Student Conference and RMetS Annual Weather and Climate Conference in Exeter I am extremely grateful to have received a generous grant from the RMetS Legacies Fund to support my in-person attendance at the RMetS Early Career and Student Conference and RMetS Annual Weather and Climate Conference in Exeter from July 6–10, 2026. The grant covered registration fees for both conferences, return train travel fares between Leeds and Exeter, and hotel accommodation for the week. As a final-year PhD student who has crossed their standard funded period of study, I would simply not have been able to attend these conferences without the support of the Legacies Fund. I truly enjoyed the weeklong experience of meeting with other conference delegates and hearing the latest scientific research from different areas of meteorology and climate. In addition to oral presentations and posters, the conference schedule included interactive workshops (on topics ranging from storytelling for research to the use of AI in meteorology) which I found novel and engaging. Getting to attend both conferences this year was a particularly valuable opportunity, as it gave me the chance to network with scientists from diverse backgrounds and career stages. I gave an oral presentation on my PhD research in each of the conferences. My presentation was based on ongoing work from the second results chapter of my thesis, which examines the decadal modulation of the relationship between the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) using large ensembles of CMIP6 models. I presented in the “Global Circulation” session in the ECS conference and in the “Climate Variability and Teleconnections” session in the Annual conference. Following my talks, I received insightful questions and feedback from the audience. This feedback is timely as I continue to develop this piece of work, and I look forward to incorporating the new ideas and suggestions I received. Beyond the science, I also appreciate having this opportunity to reflect on how to communicate my scientific research clearly and succinctly to a broad audience. I would like to sincerely thank the Royal Meteorological Society for enabling my participation in Conference Week 2026, which has been an important and fulfilling part of my PhD journey. Find out more about the RMetS Legacies Fund 11 August 2026 RMetS – General [...] Read more...
August 10, 2026Exclusive: FBU calls for more funding as ‘unprecedented summer’ puts rising demands on already stretched crews Firefighters in the UK are under increased pressure as a result of an “unprecedented summer of dangerous and volatile wildfires”, the Fire Brigades Union has said, as many parts of the country brace for a fifth heatwave of the year. As authorities declared almost three-quarters of England was now in drought, Steve Wright, the FBU general secretary, said the unpredictable environmental challenges the UK was now confronted with meant it was a “national priority” to have enough properly equipped firefighters to “face these threats”. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 10, 2026Met Office considers amber or red warning as forecasters say Thursday is likely to be hottest day of the week Temperatures could reach 36C (97F) or higher this week, forecaster have said, with possible disruption to railway lines and power networks as the Met Office considers issuing rare amber or red extreme heat warnings. Parts of the UK are forecast to experience their fifth heatwave of the summer as the country continues to bake in an unprecedented period of dry, hot weather. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 8, 2026Drought and record heat have forced the Norfolk and Suffolk league to move kick-off to the end of August as the ground is deemed too dangerous to play on This summer’s record drought has forced a football league to delay the start of its season because “rock hard” pitches are a danger to its players. The 2026/27 season in the Anglian Combination League of 85 amateur teams in Norfolk and Suffolk was due to start next weekend. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 5, 2026My RMetS Annual Weather and Climate Conference Journey at Exeter University Made Possible by the RMetS Legacies Fund Aminat.Olasunk… 05 August 2026 David Bowker reflects on how support from the RMetS Legacies Fund enabled him to attend and present his research at the RMetS Annual Weather and Climate Conference. Through the grant made from the legacies fund, I was able to attend the Weather and Climate Conference at Exeter University from 08 to 10 July and present my paper on ‘Changes in the Nature of Arctic Maritime Air’ (presented in the morning session for the Climate group on Thursday 09 July). The grant covered travel and accommodation expenses, as well as the conference fees. The paper, primarily focussing on northerlies in the spring quarter, seemed to be very well received and will form the basis for future research and an article which is currently being prepared for Weather. Lauren Burton from the UK Met Office has expressed an interest in being involved in this project, as she is currently working on large-scale weather regimes in the north Atlantic (she ran a poster session on this work during the conference). There were subsequent discussions with her and with others at the conference about the content of my paper. The broad conclusions so far are that it is still reasonable to expect incursions of Arctic air in spring, but there is evidence that in the most recent decade (2015- 2025), these incursions are becoming more limited in their spatial and temporal extent, as well as their capacity to deliver widespread snowfalls to lower ground. There have been fewer significant snowfall events, such as those of April 1978 or April 1981. Instead, spells of pronounced warmth in spring seem to be having a more pronounced geographical spread and greater longevity. This makes sense in terms of the UK Met Office’s trends for spring temperatures, though it is important to remember that cold air in spring can come from other sources such as the North Sea, when persistent haar on eastern coasts limits temperatures there. Attention was drawn in the paper to the even stronger corroborative evidence of work done by Rantanen, Lee and Aalto (Atmospheric Science Letters 2023; 24: e 1178) which looks at how the overall increase in temperatures in Arctic regions is manifested in large-scale weather types or regimes; those regimes associated with negative NAO have been shown to exhibit a much more rapid rate of warming than those with positive NAO. At the end of the presentation, the point was made that Arctic northerlies are not necessarily becoming ‘tamer’ at all seasons of the year at a uniform rate. In particular, intrusions of Arctic air in late autumn and early winter can become highly unstable at the lower layers owing to enhanced maritime convection over relatively warm seas. This can lead to heavy snowfalls in exposed coastal areas, and reference was made to relevant recent events in December 2023, November 2025 and January 2026. This therefore is a weather regime to be watched closely in forthcoming years, and I am very grateful to the Royal Meteorological Society for the opportunity to present this research and the generous grant from the legacies fund. Find out more about the RMetS Legacies Fund   6 August 2026 RMetS – General [...] Read more...
August 3, 2026Supporting an Inclusive Weather and Climate Community nathan.reece@r… 03 August 2026 The Royal Meteorological Society is committed to supporting everyone with an interest in weather and climate, and to helping our science and our community thrive. To do that effectively, we need to understand who makes up our membership. We’ve recently introduced a new, optional section within the online member dashboard where members can record equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) information, including characteristics such as ethnic background, caring responsibilities, and other demographic information. This information will help us build a clearer picture of the community we serve. The more complete our understanding of our membership, the better equipped we are to: understand whether we’re reaching and supporting the full breadth of the weather and climate community identify where there may be barriers to participation or membership ensure our activities, events and opportunities are relevant and accessible to as many people as possible measure whether the actions we take are making a positive difference over time As a scientific society, we believe good decisions are based on good evidence. Collecting this information enables us to make better-informed decisions for the Society, our membership, and the wider weather and climate community as a whole. Providing EDI information is entirely optional, and responses will be used in aggregate to help us better understand our membership rather than to make assumptions about individuals. If you’re a member, we encourage you to log in to your online member dashboard and complete the new Inclusion Dashboard section of your profile. It only takes a couple of minutes, and every response helps us build a stronger understanding of the community we represent. By taking part, you’ll be helping us ensure the Royal Meteorological Society continues to support a vibrant, inclusive and representative weather and climate community, now and into the future. If you’re not yet a member of the Royal Meteorological Society and would like to learn more about the professional support, events, publications and community that membership offers, we’d be delighted to welcome you. Find out more about joining the Society and becoming part of a community that values breadth of experience and perspectives within weather and climate science.  3 August 2026 RMetS – General [...] Read more...
August 2, 2026August usually sends me into an anxious funk, but I think I’ve worked out how to handle 2026’s terrifying heat and apocalyptic images Unfortunately for hairdressers, “How’s your summer going?” is a loaded question this year. Even basking lizards and barbecue obsessives are wavering in their sun worship as cataclysmic wildfires engulf our nearest neighbours (and threaten the UK), Wales and parts of England experience drought, and farmers issue dire warnings about our food supply in the near future. Rescue centres are filling up with dehydrated hedgehogs and the Environment Agency is having to rescue fish. Lazy, joyful, sunscreen-scented days are giving way to stifling, existentially terrifying ones spent skulking in the dark (assuming you don’t need to be out in the extreme heat, as many workers do), sweatily scrolling through apocalyptic images. Vanity Fair has decreed it’s a “sad-girl summer”, highlighting the female singer-songwriters soundtracking the myriad anxieties of an “undeniably cruel” 2026 season, but it’s not just the girlies who are sad – many of us are struggling and we still have August to survive. How? Continue reading… [...] Read more...
August 2, 2026Climate scientist urges better planning as southern England had just 1% of long-term average rainfall last month Half of England and the whole of Wales are officially in drought and July is set to be the driest month on record as extreme heat intensified by the climate crisis continues to grip the UK and Europe this summer. The announcements this week by England’s Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales mark the third such event over the past five years, and come in the wake of four record-breaking heatwaves since May which have fuelled huge wildfires and left farmers, wildlife and protected habitats running out of water. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 31, 2026More than 100 firefighters remain at scene after Dunwich Heath blaze spread across 150 hectares and forced evacuations Fire crews tackling a large wildfire burning for more than 24 hours near Britain’s biggest nuclear power station have said the situation is “stabilising”. More than 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze in Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, on the Suffolk coast since Wednesday evening. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 30, 2026UKHSA estimates 2,877 fatalities during heatwaves in May and June, almost twice that recorded in 2025 season England is on track to record its highest ever number of heat-related deaths this summer after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves. The record was set in 2022 with 2,985 deaths, and August, traditionally the hottest month, is yet to arrive. The health secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones as a result of the long and intense heatwaves.” Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 27, 2026Temperatures up to 35C forecast, triggering heat health alerts and pleas to take care in parched parks and rural areas Paramedics and firefighters are braced for emergencies across the country this week after UK forecasters predicted a fourth heatwave of the year. Temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 35C by Wednesday, triggering heat health alerts and an appeal from fire chiefs to take care in parched parks and rural areas. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 27, 2026While longer-term action is needed, there are steps that can be taken during the holidays to help keep children safe This summer, repeated heatwaves drove classroom temperatures to unbearable levels, leaving pupils and teachers scrambling to cope and forcing thousands of schools to close. School WhatsApp groups have lit up as parents, teachers and governors try to work out what can be done. Experts agree that in the medium term governments and local authorities must act to ensure all schools are equipped to withstand the new realities of a climate destabilised by the continued burning of fossil fuels. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 27, 2026As heatwaves make the capital increasingly dangerous, outreach workers warn that vulnerable people face barriers to finding water and cool spaces “You’ve just got to bear it. It’s like being in a hot country. It drains you,” said Tom*, a man in his 60s who has been homeless for a number of years. “I haven’t seen weather like this for as long as I’ve been outside. “I keep to my routines, but you need to find somewhere to sit down and rest. Either some cardboard outside or you find somewhere they’ll let you sit and sleep a bit inside,” he added. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 24, 2026Readers contribute words that describe how people feel in all weathers I was interested to read some of the words that your letter writers associated with the weather and our reactions to it (Puggled, scumfished or utterly shrammed, 14 July). Unsurprisingly, the English language is redolent with words to do with harsh weather, with many of the longest-established terms tending towards the cold or inclement. Perhaps as hotter weather becomes the norm rather than the exception, we’ll start to talk less about dreich days that leave us shrammed or clumsed and more about blazers that are a bit of a pech and leave us feeling mooth. The Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary has words to describe all weathers, including all of the above and many more.Fiona McPhersonExecutive editor, Oxford English Dictionary • I can assure Jan Cooper (Letters, 21 July) that people in Yorkshire are still capable of feeling nithered, in very cold weather. On the other hand, in the recent spells of very hot weather, they are far more likely to have felt mafted, as opposed to feeling nithered.Simon GreenHull Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 24, 2026Warning in place until Sunday morning in southern and central regions after drought declared in parts of Wales Heat alerts are in place across parts of England, with officials saying temperatures are likely to have an impact on health and wellbeing. The yellow heat health alerts issued for the East Midlands, east of England, London, south-east, south-west and West Midlands are in place until 9am on Sunday. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 24, 2026‘Wave of optimism’ is sparked by prospect of new PM, England football team’s progress and hot weather Consumer confidence in the UK jumped this month by its biggest margin for nearly three years as the prospect of Andy Burnham becoming prime minister became almost certain. The data company GfK said a “Burnham bounce” along with a strong run by the men’s England football team at the World Cup and sunny weather had lifted the mood of consumers in its long-running monthly survey. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
July 23, 2026Sadiq Khan’s heat-ready plan for London is a sensible strategy for adaptation that should provide a roadmap for other cities “Our ability to trust that our homes will keep us safe from the outside is under threat,” the geographer Sam Johnson-Schlee writes in Hot House, his recent book on how heat has transformed domestic life. This summer, high temperatures have become inescapable. People have coped with makeshift solutions: keeping curtains drawn, placing foil over windows or – for those who can afford one – plugging in an air-conditioning unit. Planning experts warn that, with only about half of councils requiring new buildings to include cooling strategies, many homes will become “death traps” as temperatures rise. Britain’s homes weren’t built to cope with this. The country’s historically mild climate allowed developers to build houses without insulation, while industrialisation supplied plentiful coal to burn when temperatures dropped. Many homes are consequently drafty in winter and sweltering in summer. Unlike those in Mediterranean climates, British homes lack shutters and shaded communal spaces. While Ildefons Cerdà, Barcelona’s masterplanner, was designing housing blocks with cool courtyards and chamfered edges to allow breezes to flow, Britain’s Victorian builders were throwing up rows of terrace houses – many without cross-ventilation – and giving little thought to the movement of the sun. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading… [...] Read more...

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