Has it rained enough in London?
Rain soaked properly in 7 days ago, and the ground is still holding some of it.
London has had 34.8mm of rain in the last 30 days. A normal August here brings 59.5mm, so the ground is roughly where it should be for the time of year.
Rain reaching the roots · 14 days
2 SeptToday
Rain in London through a normal year
Across a normal year London gets about 669mm of rain, most of it in November (65.6mm) and least in April (45.7mm).
That makes London one of the drier places this site covers in the United Kingdom in August — 39th of 40, against Glasgow at the wet end (108.3mm) and Portsmouth at the dry end (58.8mm).
JFMAMJJASOND
Average rainfall by month, 1995–2024
What that means for what you grow
- Pots and hanging basketsWorst hit, and first to suffer. Very little soil, fully exposed, and nothing to fall back on — in this weather they can empty in a day.
- Salad and leafy vegShallow-rooted and quick to bolt once they run dry. First priority of anything in the ground.
- Beds and bordersA long soak that reaches the roots is worth more than a daily sprinkle, which only wets the surface and is gone by lunchtime.
- Established shrubs and treesFine as they are. They draw from far deeper than a dry spell reaches.
Your own garden, not the town average
This page is worked out for London as a whole. Your garden has its own soil, its own shade and its own planting, and the front page will use your exact location instead.
Check my garden