Britain will continue to reel under record-breaking June heat of nearly 40C until Sunday, when conditions are expected to become cooler. Relief from the weather that has seen schools closed and public transport disrupted will only be temporary, however, forecasts from WXCharts predict.
The week from June 29 to July 5 will be characterised by slowly rising temperatures, averaging around 24C in parts of south and central England, maps from the online forecaster show. By the evening of July 8, the mercury will re-enter heatwave territory, with highs of 29C in the southwest.
Forecasts for mid-July show temperatures holding steady at around 30C, indicating another period of hot and humid weather that could wreak fresh havoc on public services.
The warning was issued between Wednesday, June 24, and Friday, June 26, this week as consecutive days broke the record for the hottest monthly temperature on record.
The Met Office’s long-range forecast also suggests there will be a brief dip in temperature as June transitions into July, before high pressure patterns mean “a greater chance of settled and drier than average conditions” next month.
While southern England is the region most likely to feel the impact of rising temperatures in July, northern parts of the UK will also see a drop to the low teens in the next week before rising back up to around 20C.
Forecasts for mid to late July also warn of potential “changeable or unsettled conditions” with a risk of “heavy and thundery showers”.
The Met Office’s forecast for July 10 onwards says: “Temperatures are likely to be above normal on the whole, with a greater than normal chance of hot conditions developing at times.”