The Met Office has revealed that temperatures could soar to 41C in parts of the UK next week, potentially breaking the record for the hottest day ever. A new heatwave is set to sweep across the country from July 3 to July 12, bringing dry and warm conditions with plenty of sunshine for most regions.
Forecast Details
According to the Met Office forecast, high pressure will dominate across England and Wales over the weekend, delivering dry and warm weather. Winds will be light to moderate for most, though stronger around northern hills and coasts near low pressure systems. Temperatures are expected to rise through the period, becoming very warm or hot in places.
The glorious weather will intensify on July 10, with staggering highs of up to 40C hitting western and southern England. Data suggests the mercury could peak at 37C to 39C quite widely across central and southern England. However, July 11 is projected to be even warmer, with the GFS model showing possible maximums of 41C in western England.
Heatwave Declaration
These temperatures would result in another official heatwave, which is declared when an area records temperatures over the heatwave threshold for three consecutive days. The threshold varies from 25C to 28C in different counties, sitting at 28C in the south-east where temperatures tend to be warmer, and dropping to 25C further away from the south-east.
The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: “Another heatwave is expected next week, with a further hot period in the second half of July, and again in August. Highs into the mid to high 30s are expected, and the chance of 40C has never been higher than in the coming weeks, especially from the second half of July.”
Record Heat and Long-term Outlook
Gaze added: “Temperatures have already exceeded 37C, and there has been record heat in May and June. High temperatures continuing on the continent are expected to move towards the UK in southerly flows at times.” The Met Office’s three-month outlook warned: “There is an increased chance of heatwaves.” The forecaster added it is eight times more likely that a much hotter than normal summer is ahead, compared to much cooler than average.
Affected Counties
UK counties facing 40C or more in the new heatwave include Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Surrey.
