London weather: When will it rain as gardens dry up? Latest forecast as UK drought looms
LONDON'S parched gardens are in desperate need of water, having gone months without rain and suffering through the UK's hottest temperatures on record. When will it rain?
Weather: Mercury set to drop before warmer weekend
Heatwave conditions have swept the UK in July, boosting the mercury to unbearable levels countrywide. Britons experienced their hottest temperatures ever last week as thermometers read highs of 42C, and many areas have since recovered with post-heatwave thunderstorms and heavy rain. The much-needed rain appears to have skipped London and much of the southeast, where the country's greenery is wilting.
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When will it rain in London?
London was among the hottest parts of the country last week, seeing highs around 39C on Tuesday, July 19.
While the capital has since cooled down significantly, weather forecasts aren't anticipating a return to its wet, dreary conditions any time soon.
The next time people can expect rain is today, but it likely won't prove enough to correct the city or its neighbour's fortunes.
READ MORE: Brits warned of drought in August
The latest forecasts show that light showers will pass over the southeast this morning.
The agency has predicted a "rather cloudy morning" for London, with a "fragmenting band of showery rain" briefly thrown in.
Showers should clear further south after light rain at around 9am, when there is a 50 percent chance of precipitation.
Those chances diminish over the next few hours, down to 20 percent by 10am, 10 percent between 11am and 2pm, before dropping below five percent between 3pm and 4pm.
The rest of the week appears similarly gloomy, with a dense cloud covering dominating for the foreseeable future.
But aside from today, that gloom won't prove conducive to rain, as the chances of precipitation remain low.
The Met Office states that cloud and rain will arrive "from the southwest" on Saturday.
Early forecasts for the weekend show that precipitation is comparatively unlikely, as chances stay below five percent for most of the day, reaching 10 percent at the highest.
The agency's long-range forecast doesn't expect rain in the first week of August.
Between July 30 and August 8, forecasters believe the southeast will remain dry and sunny, with rain scarce and only descending briefly.
The forecast states: "Further south, it is likely to remain drier with clear, sunny spells, although there is a chance of some thicker cloud and rain reaching central areas.
"For the far southeast, while it may turn cloudier at times, remaining mainly dry with just some isolated showers at times."
Is the UK in a drought?
The UK is not officially experiencing a drought yet, despite large tracts of the country not having seen rain for weeks, but experts believe one is incoming.
The Government's National Drought Group is due to meet today and discuss a strategy for dealing with dry conditions in England.
The group may decide the country is experiencing a drought and opt to ban farmers or the wider population from using extra water.
