The high temperatures follow England’s driest July since 1935, with parts of central south England and south-east England experiencing their driest July since records began. February is the only month this year in England with above average rainfall. The Environment Agency has declared drought conditions in eight areas in the south and east, with the West Midlands and Yorkshire expected to be included in the coming weeks. In central, southern and eastern England, river flows are forecast to remain extremely low until at least October, with a series of long-range seasonal weather models showing drier than normal conditions across much of the south and east until autumn. Conditions in other parts of Europe have become even more dire. According to the European Drought Monitor, 47% of the EU is under drought warning conditions, based on data from the end of July, with 15% in severe water shortage. In France, many cities are short of drinking water and water levels in the Rhine in Germany are so low that basic shipping has been severely disrupted. Water levels are also extremely low in large parts of the Po River in Italy. Temperatures in France and Spain soared last week. On Thursday 11 August, 41.5C was recorded in Navarench, France, with a high of 41.8C in Durban-Corbières the following day. On Saturday, 44.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Formentera, setting an all-time temperature record for the Balearic Islands. Alicante also reached 42 degrees Celsius. The extreme temperatures follow the hottest July ever recorded in Spain, with an average temperature of 25.6C. Temperatures next week will moderate with some rain, but there are signs of a fresh build-up of heat across Europe in the last week of August. Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice in July was the lowest on record since satellite tracking began 44 years ago, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Agency. Ice extent reached 15.3 million square kilometres, 7% below the 1991 to 2020 average and following a record low extent in June. Temperatures across much of the continent between May and July were warmer than normal, with the Weddell Sea 3 to 7 degrees Celsius above average.
