Piles of crisp, fallen leaves would normally be a sign that autumn is approaching. But in Wisley, they are falling at the height of summer, alongside dried-up ponds and lawns scorched yellow.
The Surrey village – home to one of England’s most popular public gardens – has gone a record-breaking 56 consecutive days without rainfall, according to the Met Office.
Wisley’s drought streak, which surpasses the 36 consecutive days it went without rain during the 1976 heatwave, is the longest of any area in the UK this year.
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The village is home to RHS Garden Wisley – which welcomes more than one million visits each year and is the charity’s flagship garden.
