Yorkshire and north-east England are experiencing one of their driest years on record, data shows.
The region has received just 242.8mm of rain so far in 2025 - less than half the amount that had fallen by this stage last year.
This year's rainfall total is even lower than the 285.1mm recorded by this point in 1976, when the UK endured one of the most severe droughts in modern history, with heatwave spells lasting more than two weeks across many locations.
The figures, which run up to July 9, are published by the Met Office as part of its Hadley Centre observational data of average daily rainfall.
Cumulative rainfall so far this year in Yorkshire and north-east England is the lowest for this part of the country since 1959, when 238.1mm had fallen by July 9.
The figures also show there have been 87 days so far in 2025 with little or no rainfall in the area (less than 0.1mm): more than any other year since data was first reported.
Yorkshire and north-east England have recorded 47 days this year when no rainfall was measured at all. This figure sits just behind the 49 days reported at this stage in 2020, but remains well below the 81 recorded by this point in 1959.
National picture less severe
The overall situation across England and Wales presents a less dramatic picture, with 16 days so far where no rainfall was recorded and 62 days with less than 0.1mm.
An average of 326.7mm of rainfall had fallen across England and Wales by July 9, the lowest total for this stage of the year since 1976 (248.3mm).
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
