<P> Another event like the 1976 drought was in the summer of 2003 . This was also notable for the temperatures, with 100 ° F being hit in the United Kingdom for the first time since records began, with a top temperature of 38.5 ° C (101.3 ° F) recorded in Faversham, Kent, and some places recording up to, or above, 40 ° C (104 ° F) unofficially . This drought and the associated heat wave affected the whole of Europe, not just the United Kingdom, as with the 1976 event . The average temperature was the highest since 1868, measured over February to September . This added to the severity of the drought, with high rates of evaporation . The summer ranked as the 4th highest for potential evaporation since 1961, and this evaporation alone exceeded rainfall totals across a third of the United Kingdom . </P> <P> The United Kingdom had its driest February to October period since 1921, and in the drought period had conditions only comparable to the previous conditions of 1976 . Over the whole of the United Kingdom, the rainfall totals were the 3rd lowest since records began in 1900, and in some regions only 25% of the average rainfall fell in this period . Scotland suffered during this period as it had its driest spell since the 1955 drought, and coupled with a dry winter here (England and Wales had relatively wet winters as depressions were forced south) this led to a hydrological drought here too . Also, with several local convective thunderstorms missing specific areas, some localities had exceptionally low rainfall totals, compared to the average, with some places having their driest February to October since 1697 . The drought ended in October when a low pressure system finally arrived to bring substantial rain to the United Kingdom . Some areas in Southern England had more rain in this 6 day period than they had received in the previous 3 months . Fortunately the preceding winter of 2002 - 2003 was relatively wet, which reduced the severity of the drought greatly, unlike the dry 1975 - 76 winter which led into 1976 . </P> <P> A significant hydrological drought occurred in the United Kingdom between 1995 and 1998, when the warm, dry summers were followed by dry, cool winters . This meant that over the three years, the lack of winter precipitation failed to counteract the dry summers, so slowly the water table fell, and reservoir water levels began to fall . Water levels were only replenished after some exceptionally wet years from 1999 to 2002 . Similar conditions were felt between 2003 and 2006, with only the record breaking rainfall of 2007 and 2008 replenishing the water levels . </P> <P> United Kingdom droughts have similar consequences to other droughts elsewhere in the world . The first of these is river and reservoir levels begin to drop as rainfall fails to counteract evaporation . </P>

When was the last time the uk had a drought