Guardian: July was the UK’s wettest month of the year so far, despite below-average rainfall in the south of England. The average rainfall in the UK was 102mm (4in), with parts of Scotland and north Wales seeing twice the normal rainfall expected in July. The first six months of the year were the driest since 1929, which led to the imposition of a hosepipe ban covering 6.5 million people in north-west England. Heavy rain has returned some reservoirs to near normal levels but the hosepipe …