Rain has finally returned to Britain for the first time in weeks after a record-breaking summer of heatwaves and drought.
Parts of Kent, Essex and Sussex saw light or patchy rain overnight, having all been officially declared in drought on July 29.
Showers and potential thunderstorms are set to bring cooler conditions to Britain, with fresher weather predicted to arrive by the middle of the week.
It follows months of prolonged dry spells, dangerously low water levels and soaring temperatures – reaching 38C in parts of Britain.
Five reservoirs are recording exceptionally low volumes, government sources warned, while seven are more notably low, out of the 31 across England and Wales.
The southwest has seen the lowest levels in its seven reservoirs, and is running at less than two-thirds of capacity.
Experts have warned the return of rainfall may not be enough to reverse the drought conditions affecting much of the country, with weeks of above average rainfall required to make any significant changes.
Rainfall totals for July ranged from 26 per cent of the typical average for northwest England to as little as 1 per cent in the southeast. Parts of West Sussex, the Isle of Wight and areas in Hampshire did not see a single day of rain for 59 days.
Ministers have been told to prepare for a widespread ban on water use at private swimming pools and car washes amid talks on how to cope with the drought.
The dry spell has brought severe wildfires that have devastated parts of Britain, including an inferno in Stourbridge, West Midlands last Thursday, which left 37 houses either destroyed or damaged.
Approximately 36 wildfires burned over the weekend, 11 of which were declared major incidents.
The Essex countryside resembles a parched desert on Sunday after high temperatures and lack of any significant rainfall
Residents in Kent took to social media to celebrate the light rain shower overnight, following weeks of drought
Meanwhile, Wessex Water today announced a hosepipe ban for the first time in 50 years.
The water firm said the temporary use ban will come into effect from midnight on Tuesday for all 1.4 million customers that it supplies across areas in Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.
The last time the company enforced a ban was during the infamous hot summer of 1976.
It said its water supply network is facing increasing pressure amid record levels of demand, combined with ongoing hot conditions and no significant rain forecast for the area.
Wessex Water’s ban means that more than 27 million people across England currently have their hosepipe use restricted.
Met Office meteorologists have announced that a shifting jet stream will allow low pressure to dominate, bringing cooler and wetter weather by mid-week.
Some light rain is expected later today, mostly across northern areas of the UK, although the exact distribution of rainfall is still uncertain. This will turn heavier and move more into the south of England on Tuesday and Wednesday, in areas that have been badly impacted by drought.
Residents in locations such as Kent took to social media overnight and this morning to celebrate the light rain shower, branding its arrival a ‘breakthrough’.
While any showers are welcome, the Met Office warned it will take weeks of above average rainfall to make any notable changes to the drought.
However, it will come as a huge relief to emergency services, who have been battling wildfires over the last few weeks.
An aerial view of a scorched football pitch at Upton Court Park, Slough, Berkshire, on Sunday
Residents in other parts of the country also took to social media to celebrate the arrival of rain
The fire severity index is set to be brought down to low or moderate, according to forecasts.
It comes after the government sent out an emergency wildfire alert to millions of people’s phones in England and Wales on Friday.
The siren sounded out on mobile phones across the country at 7pm, warning people against lighting anything that could spark a wildfire, including barbecues, campfires and fireworks.
The emergency alert warned that even small flames could ‘rapidly develop into a major wildfire’.
The temperature peaked at 30.6C in southern England on Saturday, making it the 40th day somewhere in the UK reached over 30C this year.
It is unlikely the temperatures will peak this high again for the rest of summer, which meteorologically ends on August 31.
Temperatures will still be above average across England and Wales on Monday and Tuesday, with highs of 20 to 26C.
They will then drop during the rest of the week, as a northerly airflow starts to have an impact.
Throughout the summer, Britain has experienced consistently above-average temperatures for the time of year.
The string of heatwaves and lack of rainfall this summer has resulted in rapidly declining reservoir stocks and growing surface water shortages, leading to hosepipe bans and severe impacts on agriculture, wildlife and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said it has been ‘inundated’ with 999 calls since the government’s emergency alert and urged people to help ‘keep our lines available for those who need urgent assistance’.
A home is seen completely gutted after a wildfire in Stourbridge on Thursday, with no roof or windows
A photo taken from a distance further captures the devastation caused by the fire in Stourbridge
West Midlands Fire Service declared a major incident on Thursday as a wildfire spread across more than 500 acres and destroyed 19 homes.
This message was echoed by South Wales Fire and Rescue service who said on Saturday evening it had already received 736 calls compared to an average of about 300, and urged people only to call 999 if there was a new emergency to report.
The region has been affected by wildfires, leading to the deployment of about 200 military personnel – from the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, supported by the 22 Engineer Regiment – to provide support.
According to the Ministry of Defence, its main task was to provide logistical support, such as water distribution, and help free firefighters and specialist responders to focus on frontline firefighting.
Deputy chief fire officer Adam Openshaw said he was ‘incredibly proud’ of everyone involved in the response to the major incident, and thanked fire crews from across the UK who had come to assist them.
He added: ‘We know this is a challenging and worrying time for many people. I would like to thank our communities for their continued support throughout this time.
‘Please be assured that we remain committed to protecting our communities and keeping the people of South Wales safe.’
