Drought, heat to worsen in UK as Chris bypasses the country

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

July 14, 2018, 10:23:07 AM EDT

Chris will track too far to the north of the United Kingdom to bring heat relief and needed rain. Instead, temperatures are set to once again soar on Sunday

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Several heat records have already been set this year, and above-normal temperatures are forecast to last through next week.

In fact, this was the hottest June on record for Wales and Northern Ireland, according to the UK Met Office.

This June also ranked as one of the top five driest Junes for much of Wales and England. Making matters worse, much of England and Wales recorded little to no rain during the first 11 days of the month.

The warm and dry stretch of weather is causing the U.K. to import 30 percent of its lettuce supply. BBC News reports that imports typically are not needed this time of year. Farmers are now warning of a shortage of peas.

"Friday brought another round of showers and thunderstorms to parts of the U.K., but more needed rain is not on the horizon for most of England and Wales this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.

Chris will race across the northern Atlantic Ocean this weekend. The once-hurricane has lost its tropical characteristics and is behaving more like a wintertime windstorm.

The storm is projected to track toward Iceland, keeping any significant rainfall from reaching the U.K. Only showers will dampen parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Map showing percentage of normal precipitation across Europe during June 2018, courtesy of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Locations farther south across England and Wales can expect another dry and very warm weekend.

On Sunay, temperatures are set to peak at 26 C (78 F) in Manchester and 29 C (85 F) in Greater London. Players and spectators at the Wimbledon finals will need to stay well hydrated.

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Outside of the few areas that received significant rain late in the week, the hot and dry weather will only further drought issues that have been worsening across the United Kingdom in recent weeks.

A hosepipe ban has been in place in Northern Ireland since June 29, while 175 million liters of water has been pumped into the water network to keep supplies flowing, according to Hosepipeban.org. This is the first such ban issued in Northern Ireland since 1995.

Hosepipe bans have not been put into effect yet in England and Wales; however, many utility companies have warned users to limit water consumption or action may be taken in the future.

Residents should also continue to use caution with cigarette butts and sparks to prevent more wildfires igniting where the vegetation has dried out.

"A slow-moving storm may bring a spell of showery weather to a part of the U.K. during the coming week," Pydynowski said. "Not every community will receive substantial rain, but those that do will some some relief from the drought."

The storm should also prevent the weekend sizzle from lasting through the upcoming week.