Will there be more heatwaves this summer? Experts forecast high temperatures in July
Summer in the UK has kicked off with a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures soaring to extreme levels across the country.
Although weather warnings have been lifted and average temperatures have returned for most people, forecasters predict the next heat wave could arrive within a few weeks.
The hottest weather is usually felt in July and August, although the UK has already experienced two heatwaves this year, setting the record for the hottest spring ever in England and Wales.
The Met Office said the warming climate and the expected El Niño weather event meant the chance of a hot summer was higher than usual, which could increase the risk of heatwaves and other heat-related effects.
In its three-month summer outlook, the weather agency said temperatures in the period from July 11 to 25 “will generally be above normal, with occasional warmer conditions likely to be higher than normal.”
The report also states that there is “the potential for variable or more unstable conditions to emerge, with the risk of heavy and thunderstorms later in the period.”
The chances of a hot summer are twice as likely as between 1991 and 2020, the Met Office said.
Forecast platform WXCharts is expecting typical summer temperatures next week before a possible third heatwave returns to the south of England.
From 7 July temperatures could reach 32C in south-east England, 36C in the capital on 8 July and 35C the next day.
It is estimated that temperatures will reach 20 degrees in the coming days.
Temperatures are increasingly likely to exceed 40 degrees in England, the Met Office said. Under current climate conditions, the UK could be 10 times more likely to experience unprecedented temperatures of 40 degrees or higher, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
During the June heatwave, rare red extreme heat warnings issued only in 2022 were in effect across much of the country.
The UK has experienced three consecutive days of record temperatures reaching 37.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, on Friday.
Scientists have warned that intense heat events will become increasingly common and temperatures in the UK could reach 45C in the near future.
Met Office chief scientist Professor Stephen Belcher said: “Heatwaves in the UK are becoming more frequent and intense.
“The duration of extreme heat combined with high humidity will present serious challenges for the health of communities and individuals.”
He added: “Weather is a national conversation in the UK and the summer of 1976 lives on in many memories.
“Our climate has changed fundamentally since then, with the average summer in the UK warming by around 1.4 degrees.
“Significantly the extremes have also changed.”
