Dry spell set to continue as Norfolk sizzles in driest June since 1962

Parts of Norfolk have not seen rain since June 9, leading forecasters to declare June 2018 the driest Norfolk has seen for more than 55 years.

The average rainfall for June in Norfolk is 52.9ml yet this year the county has seen just 6.5ml.

The last time Norwich had rain was 0.2ml on June 12 but the city has not had more than one millimetre since June 9. It is a similar story across the county with many weather stations not reporting more than 0.2ml throughout June. Tibenham Airfield last saw 0.2ml of rain on June 12 while Marham and Santon Downham have not seen any since June 16.

Meredith and Rhiannon Haynes from Norwich enjoy the hot April weather on Yarmouth beach.Picture: Nick Butcher (Image: Archant © 2018)

Adam Dury from the Norwich based forecaster Weatherquest said: 'We're only half way through July but with no more than 6.5ml of rain across the whole of Norfolk it's the second driest June on record since 1962.

'We haven't had this sort of extreme summer for 20 odd years, 1984 and 1976 were very dry and between 1962 and 1984 it has happened three times.'

Despite being the driest June in decades Anglian Water have said they will not be enforcing a hosepipe ban. A spokesperson for the organisation said: 'We monitor our networks carefully all year round and have long term plans in place to manage water resources. Water levels in our reservoirs and groundwater stores are healthy and in some cases above average.'

Gorleston beach in 1984. Photo: Archant Library (Image: Archant)

Yet the lack of rain has effected a number of people across the region including Norfolk Fire Service who over the last weekend received more than 50 calls to fires in the open, compared to annual average of 300. When asked what the forecast held in store for the coming days forecaster Dan Holley said: 'There is a chance of one or two isolated showers but not a great deal of rain and it could stay that way for much of the week. Showers will be hit and miss and many places will stay completely dry.'

Josephine Reynolds fighting a grass fire in Brandon, dated 1984. Photo: Archant Library (Image: Archant)

Ann and Kay have fun with a beach ball at Mundesley, 1962. Picture: Archant Library (Image: Archant)