The Met Office has announced that the UK's current heatwave will not end abruptly, with hot conditions expected to persist into next week. Temperatures are forecast to climb towards 35C later this week, particularly in southern England.
Heatwave Evolution Rather Than Sudden End
According to a Met Office spokesperson, Nicola Maxey, the hot spell will evolve gradually rather than come to a sudden halt. High pressure will remain the dominant weather feature through next week, bringing fine, dry, and warm conditions to many areas.
Ms Maxey stated: "The current spell of hot weather is expected to evolve rather than end abruptly. High pressure is forecast to remain the dominant weather feature through next week, bringing largely fine, dry and warm conditions for many areas."
Shift of Hottest Weather Northwards
As the high-pressure system shifts north, the hottest conditions will ease across parts of southern and eastern England, while increasingly warm weather develops across northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Ms Maxey added: "As a result the focus of the highest temperatures is likely to shift north rather than remain concentrated in the south east."
Temperatures are expected to moderate in some areas, but many locations will continue to experience above-average warmth. The precise extent and duration of heatwave conditions beyond next week will depend on temperature and humidity developments.
Health Alerts and Impacts
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued heat-health alerts covering all eight regions of England. Amber warnings are in place for five regions, and yellow alerts for the remaining three until Saturday. Officials warn of potential impacts on health and social care services.
Marine Heatwave and UV Levels
The continuing hot weather has contributed to an emerging marine heatwave around the UK. Sea temperatures are currently between 4C and 5C above average in some waters, particularly off the coasts of eastern and southern England.
People have been urged to take care as UV levels are expected to be high or very high across much of the country this week. Forecast maps show a very high UV index of 10 across south-west England, south-east England, eastern England, and Wales.
