London set for days of rain at end of record summer: Will it save capital's parched parks?

London looks set for some rain as one of the hottest and driest summers on record draws to a close.Multiple forecasters are predicting rainfall over a number of days starting next week. It comes after England saw the driest July on record - with no meaningful rain in London. Across the Thames catchment area, just 0.8mm of rain was recorded - a mere 2% of the long-term average.Saturday saw temperatures drop markedly to a maximum of 26C after highs of 38C and 34C on Thursday and Friday.Overcast conditions are expected to keep a lid on the heat on Sunday, with the Met Office forecasting a maximum of 26C. Temperatures are expected to gradually reduce through the week to around 22C on Friday, according to BBC Weather.On Sunday morning, Accuweather was predicting a 25%-61% chance of rainfall each day from Monday to Friday in London.A large section of a pond in Wanstead Park, east London, has dried up as drought conditions and heatwaves persist in parts of the UK SOPA Images/LightRocket via GettLooking to the weekend, BBC Weather forecasts up to a 46% chance of rain on Saturday, August 23. The following week looks more likely to be wet, with the chance of rain estimated at up to 64% on Tuesday, August 25 and 69% on Wednesday, August 26. Last week, the head of gardens at Chiswick House and Gardens warned of “scorched” conditions.She said: “The reality is that our ability as gardeners to minimise the negative effects, particularly on our 1,800 trees, is quite limited.Read More“My role now is to plan intelligently and make the right informed decisions for the next 300 years, gathering as much advice and resources as I can to do so.”Scorched earth: Kew Gardens in July 2026Map Impact: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026Darren Share, director of parks at the Royal Parks, said the driest July on record and consecutive heatwaves showed it “is a moment of urgency” On Saturday, the Prince of Wales thanked emergency services battling wildfires across Britain.He said: "Our thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly those who have lost their homes, and with those working tirelessly to protect communities, homes and the countryside." The burnt out remains of houses following a huge blaze in Stourbridge (Jacob King/PA)PA WireIt came after West Midlands Fire Service declared a major incident on Thursday as a wildfire spread across more than 500 acres and destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge.It was one of several blazes to ravage through the UK this week as temperatures soared and the hottest day of the year was recorded.