Not a Single Drop of Rain in a Month: A Rare 1.5-Century Event

A worrying record has been set in England. The oldest weather station in London has just experienced its first calendar month with absolutely no rainfall since records began more than a century and a half ago. The observation station at Kew Gardens, which began recording weather data in 1871, registered zero millimetres of rain throughout July 2026. This is the first time in the site’s recorded history that not a single drop of rain fell for an entire month. Previously, the driest month record was held by July 1999 with just 2.5 millimetres of rainfall, followed by July 1921 with 3.7 millimetres. This time, however, the recorded figure was completely empty. Similar conditions were observed in the surrounding area. The Hogsmill observation station recorded its last rainfall on 27 June, with no additional precipitation throughout the following month. Overall, England experienced its driest July since records began in 1836. Average rainfall was only about 7 per cent of the norm, whilst the southern part of England received just about 1 per cent of the average July rainfall. The Met Office stated that a combination of extreme heat, abundant sunshine, and an almost complete absence of rain made this month truly exceptional in climate records. Weather observers also noted a worrying trend. Of the six driest Julys ever recorded, five have occurred since 1990. This further strengthens the suspicion that climate change is making weather patterns more extreme and erratic. Kew Gardens has not yet released an official statement confirming the figure, but independent analysis of data released by the Met Office indicates the zero-millimetre reading is real. The local government has already declared drought status in several areas, including London, since the end of July. This condition is not an isolated incident. Various parts of the world are now experiencing longer and more severe droughts than usual, triggered by a strengthening El Niño phenomenon expected to persist until early 2027. In Europe, Italy, Belgium, and Cyprus are now implementing water usage restrictions, whilst major rivers are experiencing reduced flow, threatening drinking water supplies and agriculture. On other continents, the Horn of Africa, parts of the United States, Australia, and South Asia are also reporting very sharp declines in rainfall. Indonesia is not immune to the effects of this climate change. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) noted that by mid-July, more than half of Indonesia’s land area, or 54.5 per cent, had entered the dry season. The peak of the dry season is predicted to occur from August to September 2026, with characteristics that are drier and longer lasting than in normal years. Hundreds of monitoring points have already recorded no rain for more than a month, and dozens of points have had no rainfall for over two months. This condition is exacerbated by air temperatures that tend to be higher than the long-term average, causing water evaporation to occur more quickly and making the soil increasingly dry. Experts warn that such natural phenomena will occur more frequently as global warming continues, altering rainfall patterns to become more extreme. When rain does fall, it can be very heavy, but dry seasons can last much longer than usual.