Next UK heatwave could last 10 days with temperatures to rise this weekend
Next summer’s heatwave could hit London for 10 consecutive days from this weekend.
Although the week has opened with a much-needed breeze and cooler temperatures, the calm weather is not expected to last long as temperatures warm again from Saturday, rising rapidly to 28C or 29C.
Met Office deputy head of forecasting Tony Wisson said: “Towards the end of the week, high pressure will continue to build across much of the UK, starting with the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very hot conditions for many, particularly in England and Wales, although some rain may still affect the far North.”
He added: “Forecasts for this weekend suggest temperatures could approach the 20s in parts of England, perhaps 30 degrees in parts of the south-east, while in Wales it could reach the mid-to-high 20s.”
Saturday’s forecast shows that the temperature in the capital will be around 28 degrees by 16.00, but this seems to increase every day, with temperatures reaching 31 degrees at 16.00 on Monday.
BBC Weather is predicting high temperatures of between 28 and 32 degrees for 10 days from Saturday.
A heatwave occurs when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days in which daily maximum temperatures meet the heatwave temperature threshold.
The temperature threshold is 27C in much of south-east England and 28C in London and surrounding areas.
The UK has already endured two heatwaves this year and on Friday broke the record for the hottest spring in England and Wales and the hottest June on record, with temperatures reaching 37.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk.
Mr Wisson said: “Although a return to heatwave conditions looks increasingly likely in some areas, the likelihood of extremely high temperatures or high humidity levels, as was the case last week, is currently low.”
The mercury is expected to peak at 30C in the capital from Monday to Thursday next week as high pressure dominates England and Wales, along with dry, hot conditions.
The southwestern and central regions will also absorb some heat during the same period; temperatures will fluctuate between 28 and 30°C in Birmingham and 27°C in Exeter.
Cloudy and wet weather is expected to be more variable in Northern Ireland and Western Scotland, while high pressure is expected to spread northward with hot and dry conditions. It looks like temperatures will stay below twenty degrees in both regions next week.
A third heatwave could return on July 7, when temperatures will reach 32C in southeast England, according to forecasting platform WXCharts, although long-term forecasts are less reliable.
The highest temperature in the capital on July 8 may be 36C, and the next day it may be 35C. WXCharts predicts temperatures will reach the high twenties in the coming days.
In its three-month summer outlook, the Met Office said temperatures in the period from 11 to 25 July were “generally likely to be above normal, with warmer conditions likely to be higher than normal at times”.
Met Office forecast
Wednesday:
It’s a beautiful day for many, with varying clouds and sunshine. Heat is felt in the south and east. A few showers are expected in the north ahead of rain and strong winds reaching Northern Ireland and Western Scotland in the afternoon.
Wednesday night:
Windy in the north, showers this evening, heavy at times, then becoming drier overnight. The cloud reaches the southern regions later and brings fog to the southwest along the coast and hills.
Thursday:
Clouds and occasional rain clearing the far south throughout the day. Largely dry elsewhere with sunny spells. The wind continues in the northeast. It is cool in the northwest and hot in the southeast.
Outlook from Friday to Sunday:
Cloudy and rainy areas continue to affect northern regions until the weekend. It is thin and arid in the south, where temperatures gradually increase under the influence of strong sunlight.
