Five days of rain expected for Norfolk after weeks of drought

But after weeks of dry, baking heat, weather forecasts predicting five days of rain for Norfolk will be greeted with plenty of relief.

The first showers are expected as early as Friday and are due to continue until Wednesday, according to BBC Weather.

Five days of rain are expected for Norfolk (Image: Newsquest)

The rain will finally break what has been one of the driest and hottest spells in years, which has left farmers frustrated, wildlife struggling and seen much of the country placed under a hosepipe ban, with an official drought declared.

At the end of last month, the Environment Agency announced that Norfolk was suffering from “flash drought” as a result of very low rainfall and high temperatures.

July 2026 was the driest July since records started in 1836, with England having just 7pc of expected rainfall.

Ponds have been dredged around the county, including Scotman's pit in Great Massingham (Image: Chris Bishop)

An Anglian Water hosepipe ban has been in place since July 11 in Norfolk, banning people from using hosepipes to water gardens, clean vehicles or fill paddling pools.

Ponds and rivers around the county have began to dry up due to the hot weather and drought conditions, including Scotsman's Pit at Great Massingham, near King's Lynn, where 100 carp perished.

People viewing the solar eclipse at a very dry Mousehold Heath (Image: Supplied)

Last week thousands of dead fish were removed from River Wensum, with experts blaming low river levels and the soaring temperatures.

The Environment Agency says irrigation restrictions on farmers are increasing, with 1,534 now in place in East Anglia.

July 2026 was the driest on record since 1836 (Image: PA)

Around 300 of the region's abstractors are in the process of having to reduce the amount they can take from rivers by 50pc to protect the environment, due to exceptionally low flows.

While the imminent showers might provide some respite, experts are not predicting heavy rain and measures like the hosepipe ban are unlikely to be removed yet.

Hundreds of dead fish have turned up in the River Wensum (Image: Newsquest)

Elveden Estate's new £3m reservoir, which has run dry this summer (Image: Elveden Estate)

Cooler temperatures are also expected for the coming weeks, with the highest predicted temperature being 23C until Wednesday, August 26.

An amber weather warning for extreme heat has been issued for parts of Norfolk for Thursday, with highs of 35C in Downham Market.