Weather Watch: Drier than normal - but not a patch on 76

In June, the UK overall rainfall was 25 per cent down on normal, but our region was nearly 70 per cent below normal.

Over in London, Northolt saw just 8.3mm of rain for the entire month.

While the grass may be suffering, water supplies were at healthy levels at the beginning of last month thanks to May being wetter than average, following on from healthy winter rainfall.

This dry spell is of course nothing in comparison to the famous hot and dry summer of 1976.

The intense drought associated with that summer was actually the result of successive very dry months over the previous year, not just that season in particular.

Some parts of the country saw no rainfall at all for over six weeks during July and August.

This, combined with exceptionally high temperatures, saw severe restrictions on water supplies.

Water rationing was enforced in some parts, with standpipes set up in the streets.

Some rivers dried up completely.

A minister for drought was appointed by the Government late in the summer, although rather ironically, a few days later the heavens opened and one of the wettest autumns on record followed.

Meanwhile, there are no more than a few showers in the forecast for the next few days.

It will become warm and sultry today and perhaps quite hot tomorrow, before fresher weather, with a fair amount of bright weather, arrives for Friday and the weekend.