The Met Office has confirmed that parts of the UK could face heatwave conditions again this weekend, with a two-word forecast verdict: ‘increasingly likely’. The current heatwave is only just dying back to normal today, Monday, June 29, but forecasters have already been issuing bright red heat maps with warnings of a return to baking, sizzling conditions by the end of the week, in what will be unwelcome news for many who already battled through the past few record-breaking days of temperatures above 35C.
Today, the Met Office confirmed that another heatwave is ‘increasingly likely to arrive this weekend, though it is ‘unlikely’ to hit the same temperature peaks as last week. It said that this week is set to be a welcome relief for many as the UK returns to low to mid-20C temperatures, but that this coming weekend temperatures will begin to creep back up with ‘heatwave conditions for some’ on the cards.
The Met Office said: “For the early part of next week, temperatures will rise, perhaps reaching heatwave conditions for some, but the forecast suggests that this event is unlikely to reach the high temperatures and humidity of last week’s heat.”
Neil Armstrong is a Met Office Chief Forecaster. He said: “With last week’s heat behind us, there will be much relief for many this week as we are forecasting a pleasant week of summer with temperatures in the low to mid 20s°C for many.”
From this Tuesday and into the midweek, conditions are forecast to turn more changeable, with showers or longer spells of rain – heaviest and most frequent in the north and west. While the south and southeast stay mostly drier and often warm. Some of the showers on Tuesday will be thundery and there is potential for a thunderstorm warning to be issued.
Tony Wisson is a Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster. He said: “Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north.
“The forecast for this weekend [Saturday, July 4 and 5] suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s°C across parts of England, perhaps 30°C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s°C in Wales.
“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”