London Hasn't Seen Rain in Almost Two Months — 1893 Record Under Threat

The village of Wisley in Surrey, on the outskirts of London, hasn't seen a drop of rain in 58 days, according to the UK's Met Office. Meanwhile, London's Heathrow Airport has gone 52 consecutive days without rainfall.

Britain's all-time record for the longest dry spell stands at 73 days, set between 4 March and 15 May 1893 in the Mile End area of London. Forecasters expect the current dry streak to continue at least through the weekend, with only a few scattered drops expected across England. Any more substantial rainfall isn't likely until next week.

From Floods to Drought

The Met Office notes a striking contrast this year: back in early 2026, Cardinham in Cornwall saw rain fall continuously for 55 days straight — and now, almost exactly the same number of days later, Wisley has gone 55 days without any rain at all.

The drought is being felt acutely. A lack of rainfall combined with extreme heat has completely parched the landscape, and some rivers have simply dried up. According to the Met Office, this summer could turn out to be the hottest on record in Britain, provided current average temperatures hold through the end of August.

July Breaks 190-Year Record

July was the driest month on record for England and Wales in 190 years of weather measurements. Southeast England received just 1% of its usual rainfall.

The drought has gripped much of Europe, with rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube, the Vistula and the Morava hitting historic lows.

Source: novinky.cz