Britain's dry spell set to end for millions across north of England and Scotland

Britain's dry spell is set to break for millions after the Met Office revealed rain and thunderstorms could hit parts of the UK.

Official drought status has been declared across Wales and more than half of England, as Britain has experienced four heatwaves so far this year.

Experts have warned that prolonged heatwave conditions, low rainfall, and shrinking water supplies are creating dangerous conditions, with the historic drought of 1976 now on the verge of being surpassed.

Official drought status is currently declared across London, Hertfordshire, East Anglia, Thames Valley, the West Midlands, Wessex, the South Coast, the South West, and the entire nation of Wales.

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Both England and Wales have provisionally recorded their driest July on record.

Some places in England recorded less than 1mm of rainfall during the whole month.

As August begins, rain is expected to fall over parts of the country next week.

Low pressure will extend across the nation this week and could lead to rain and thunderstorms in some places.

The north could be hit with heavy rain and the south with lighter showers.

The Met Office yellow weather warning for thunderstorms covers the entire region of Northern Ireland, encompassing all six counties.

The alert is active on Tuesday, August 4, from 12pm until 9pm, with thundery showers are expected to build up across the afternoon.

Sudden downpours of up to 20-30 mm of rain within just a couple of hours.

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The storms may also feature frequent lightning, hail, and strong, gusty winds.

Despite the rain, August is predicted to be warm and humid in England and Wales.

The Met Office predictions suggested temperatures could rise over 30C again.

The Met Office Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: "A change in weather type early next week will see warmer conditions return across England and Wales but in contrast to much of the summer, this will be associated with showers or perhaps thunderstorms for some places."

He added: "However, some parts of the south will only see small amounts of rain. It will stay cooler in the north with the potential for heavy rain to build up, especially over parts of Scotland."

Helen Wakeham, Director of Water at the Environment Agency and Chair of the National Drought Group, said: "The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it.

"A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife, and the economy."

There have been three droughts in the past five summers in the UK.

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