Weather maps suggest rain is on the way (Image: Getty)
The UK looks set for a soaking later this month with rain sweeping across swathes of the country, weather maps show. While scorching temperatures are expected over the coming days, with a high of 34C possible, maps generated by WXCharts today appear to show rain moving into parts of southern England, Wales and western Scotland from Wednesday, July 15 to the following day.
The maps show a band of rain stretching from Aberystwyth to Margate at 6pm on July 15, with the heaviest outbreaks in South Wales. Rain appears over southern Britain until the following evening, after which the UK looks set to remain dry, according to WXCharts.
It’s important to note that this is just one weather model and the maps may change given how far ahead they are.
This map shows rain in the south of the UK at 6pm on July 15 (Image: WX Charts)
This map shows rain in the south and parts of western Scotland at midnight on July 16 (Image: WX Charts)
The Met Office‘s long range forecast, separate to that of WXCharts, suggests England and Wales will be “dry and very warm” as high pressure establishes itself between July 10 and 19.
But there is an “ongoing chance” of thunderstorms moving up to the UK from France, according to the forecaster.
Much of Scotland and Northern Ireland also look set to remain dry and warm, with temperatures very warm, hot or even very hot in parts of the south.
Some relief from the heat may be felt from July 13 as the Met Office detects signs the heatwave will ease and “more normal” summer temperatures prevail.
Netweather’s monthly forecast says July 13-19 shows potential for “exceptional heat” in southern Britain similar to that seen at the end of June.
This map shows rain persisting at 6am on July 16 (Image: WX Charts)
It notes: “The probabilities favour less of a prolonged extreme hot spell. The potential for heat recedes later in the week as the signal for high pressure reduces and the weather is likely to cool down from the west towards the end of the week.”
The same forecaster says it expects this period to be drier and sunnier than average for most, though rainfall will “probably” be “near normal” in parts of North-West Britain.
This week, Thursday is currently expected to be the peak at 34C, before the mercury slowly climbs down, but parts of the south will still be in the low 30s at the end of the coming week, according to the Met Office.
Meanwhile, Southern Water has issued a hosepipe pan from 12.01am on July 10 in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. South East Water’s temporary hosepipe ban for people living in Kent came into force on Friday (July 3).
A week-long warning from health officials also came into force on Saturday for parts of the UK, saying high temperatures over the coming days could cause a greater risk to life for vulnerable people.
The UK Health Security Agency’s new alert comes after a sweltering heatwave at the end of June when the Met Office issued a rare red warning for extreme heat for parts of the country and the UKHSA put red heat health alerts in place.
Britain set a provisional June temperature record of 37.7C in Lingwood in Norfolk, according to the Met Office. It beats the previous June record for the UK of 35.6C dating back to 1976 by more than 2C.
Such records have usually been broken by only a fraction of a degree in the past.