Met Office heatwave update as ‘high temperature spikes’ forecast after 35C | Weather | News

Britain could be heading for another scorching summer after breaking its all-time May temperature record, with forecasters warning of “high temperature rises” and the increasing risk of heatwaves.

While the Met Office’s latest three-month outlook shows temperatures are likely to be above average throughout the summer, experts warn conditions could bring further periods of extreme heat.

The forecast comes just days after a late spring heatwave sent temperatures soaring to 35.1C in London’s Kew Gardens; this was the hottest temperature ever recorded in May in the UK. The previous record of 32.8C had stood since 1944.

Yellow and yellow temperature-health warnings were issued during the spell, with large parts of the country enjoying unusually warm conditions.

Now forecasters believe more could be on the way.

In its summer outlook published on June 1, the first day of meteorological summer, the Met Office said there was an increased chance of warmer than average weather continuing in June, July and August.

The agency added that “the likelihood of heat waves and heat-related impacts increases” throughout the season.

Weather experts at MeteoGroup, which provides forecast data for BBC Weather, also noted the possibility of several periods of intense hot weather in the coming months.

The forecaster said “several significant high temperature spikes” could occur during the summer months, with above-average temperatures expected in June, July and August.

He added that both the UK and mainland Europe could experience “significant heat bursts”.

The Met Office said hotter summers are increasingly likely due to climate trends, with warmer-than-average conditions now nearly twice as likely as in the 1991-2020 climate reference period.