The Met Office has warned that another heatwave could hit the UK next week, with temperatures potentially reaching 30°C in parts of the country. This follows a record-breaking June heatwave that saw the UK's highest June temperature ever recorded.
Record-Breaking June Heat
On Friday, June 26, the UK provisionally set a new June temperature record of 37.7°C at Lingwood in Norfolk, east of Norwich. This beat the previous record of 37.3°C recorded at Santon Downham in Suffolk on the same day. Scientists noted that this heatwave would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago, with human-driven climate change fueling more intense and frequent extreme heat events.
Forecast for Next Week
After a brief cooldown to average temperatures, the Met Office predicts that from Tuesday into the midweek, conditions will become more changeable with showers or longer spells of rain, heaviest in the north and west. However, toward the weekend, high pressure building from the Azores is expected to bring more settled, warm or very warm conditions, especially across England and Wales.
Neil Armstrong, a Met Office Chief Forecaster, 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 20sC for many.”
Potential for 30°C
Tony Wisson, a Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, added: “The forecast for this weekend 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 20sC 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.”
Some showers on Tuesday could be thundery, and there is potential for a thunderstorm warning to be issued. Despite the heat, the Met Office advises that the upcoming heatwave is unlikely to reach the extreme temperatures and humidity of last week's event.
