Jennifer Bartram

Heavy showers and thunderstorms are forecast across parts of the UK, particularly north-west England, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland, with risks of hail, lightning and flash flooding. Much of England and all of Wales remain in drought after an exceptionally dry July, but the hardest-hit areas may receive little rain. Dry, compacted ground can increase surface runoff during intense downpours, while the drought itself may persist because rivers, groundwater and reservoirs remain depleted. Cooler Arctic air will bring temperatures closer to seasonal averages, although early forecasts suggest hot spells could return in southern areas during September.