UK weather: Britons told to brace for floods in just days after weeks of drought

Forecasters have warned that heavy downpours expected later this week could trigger surface water flooding across parts of Britain.

The Met Office said that Thursday will bring intense showers to much of the country, though some areas may escape them entirely.

Met Office's Deputy Chief Forecaster Mike Silverstone said: "Many areas in England and Wales are desperate for rain. This week, some of these areas will see the first meaningful rain for a long time."

A wet front began sweeping southwards from Northern Ireland and Scotland on Monday, with further rainfall reaching the South West by Tuesday evening before spreading eastwards,

The country has endured five heatwaves this summer, which is on course to surpass 1976 as the hottest on record.

However, Alastair Chisholm, the water lead at consultancy Arup, suggested the drought would significantly elevate the risks of flash floods this autumn and winter.

He said how high temperatures mean a greater likelihood of thunderstorms because they increase evaporation off the sea and mean the atmosphere is holding more moisture, leading to "storm" moments".

Mr Chisholm added: "On top of this, fields that would normally absorb heavy rainfall have been baked so hard that water is more likely to run off the land. The whole country is really, really dry.

"The ground is hard and water is not going to soak in easily. If you get a lot of heavy rainfall, it is going to run off."

Wessex Water on Monday imposed a hosepipe ban across its entire supply area, affecting 1.4 million customers in Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.

The restriction, which took effect from midnight on Tuesday, is the company's first in half a century, dating back to the infamous 1976 drought.

Ruth Jefferson, the firm's chief executive, said: "After 50 years without a hosepipe ban in the Wessex Water region...this isn't a decision we've made lightly, and we're sorry for the inconvenience it will cause."

Daily water consumption across the region has been running at over 400 million litres, roughly 30 per cent above the seasonal norm, according to Ms Jefferson.

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A record 1,132 wildfires have been logged across England and Wales so far in 2026, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council.

In Stourbridge in the West Midlands, a single blaze destroyed 19 homes, while multiple fire services have urged the public to reserve 999 calls for genuine emergencies.

More than 27 million people in England are now subject to hosepipe restrictions following Wessex Water's announcement.

In Kent, over 8,000 South East Water customers have faced serious disruptions to their supply owing to sustained high demand and infrastructure problems.

Professor in climate risks and resilience at the University of Reading Liz Stephens said much of Southern England will take many weeks of sustained rainfall for vegetation to recover and rivers and reservoirs to return to normal

She told The Telegraph: “Here in the South East, we’re still a month’s worth of rain below what we would normally expect by this point in the year, despite the heavy rainfall in January and February.

"As a result, while any rain which falls this week may help reduce the immediate wildfire risk, it will take many weeks of sustained rainfall for vegetation to recover and our rivers and reservoirs to return to normal.

"This means that we should expect hosepipe bans to be in place for some time. Floods can still occur during drought conditions and surface water flooding can even become more likely as baked soils are unable to soak up rainwater as quickly."

Drier weather is expected to return by Friday and persist through the weekend, though further rain is forecast for next week.

The Met Office forecast reads: "Conditions look like turning increasingly unsettled through next week, as low pressure gradually becomes dominant, squeezing the ridge off to the northeast and southwest.

"Most places are likely to see some rain or showers, which may be heavy with a risk of thunder at times. It may become breezy if not windy at times too.

"Temperatures are likely to be near or a little below normal overall, with some chilly nights at first, but brief warm, humid spells are possible at times, especially in the south."