Map reveals 15 UK cities set to stay DRY tonight as heavy rain lashes parts of England with chance of flooding

BRITS are set to be soaked in rain this evening as the fifth heatwave of the year comes to a close. A sweeping band of rain will bring welcome relief to parts of the UK tonight, but several major cities will stay completely dry. Rain is set to refresh large parts of the country this evening, but a number of cities will not be affected Credit: EPA A large band of rain is set to sweep across the nation this evening, but 15 major UK cities will miss out on the refreshing break from the dry spell. It arrives less than a week after temperatures rose to 38.1C, marking both the hottest day of the year and the fifth heatwave of summer. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! However, the Met Office has predicted a large amount of rain this evening, with the cooler conditions continuing throughout this week. Both the North of England and the Midlands are expected to see some rain before midnight, as well as large parts of Scotland and areas in Northern Ireland. At midnight, a large band of rain is set to sweep across the country Credit: Met Office A number of locations are not expecting the downpour, including London, Swansea and more Credit: Met Office Some major cities will be less lucky this evening and not see any rain, including Birmingham, Cambridge, London, Plymouth and Swansea. Mike Silverstone, the Met Office’s deputy chief forecaster, said: “Many areas in England and Wales are desperate for rain, this week some of these areas will see the first meaningful rain for a long time.” However, throughout the week, wetter conditions will gradually move more southward, with conditions gradually becoming “fresher” in areas that have seen little rain. Silverstone continued: “Thursday will be a day of heavy showers across much of the UK, while some of these will be heavy, some areas will miss them altogether. Most read in The Sun Full list of major cities not expecting rainfall this evening The forecast was taken at midnight on Tuesday, August 18: Birmingham Brighton Cambridge Cardiff Exeter Hereford Lincoln London Milton Keynes Norwich Peterborough Plymouth Rochester Southampton Swansea “As some of these showers could be intense, there is a chance of some surface water flooding as rain falls on very hard and dry ground.” Currently, nearly three-quarters of England and the entirety of Wales are facing drought conditions, with a total of 1,132 wildfires recorded across the areas in 2026. Today, Wessex Water introduced its first hosepipe ban in 50 years, bringing 1.4million more Brits under water use restrictions in Bath, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. After the cooler temperatures this week, the Met Office suggests that Britain could be hit by a sixth heatwave before the end of summer, with “late season hot spells” forecast between August 30 and September 13. Comment now