The Met Office has given its verdict on when the next heatwave will hit the UK. While temperatures this week are not as scorching as earlier in the month, a lack of rain has led to hosepipe bans in several parts of the UK as rivers and reservoirs dry up. The chronic dryness has turned gardens brown and restricted households from filling paddling pools or washing cars with hoses.
Possible rainfall reprieve
Some rainfall may arrive this weekend, offering a brief reprieve, but the Met Office is already predicting that another heatwave could bake the UK again in August.
Forecast details
In its latest predictions, the forecaster said: “The signal begins to change from the second week of August onwards. At this stage, a trend towards more settled conditions is likely, with a greater incidence of dry weather and high-pressure patterns. This would increase the likelihood of longer dry spells and warmer conditions developing more widely across the UK.”
The Met Office added that heatwaves are ‘possible’, though not yet ‘guaranteed’. It said: “The key message is that further heatwaves are possible but not guaranteed. The longer-range outlook indicates that temperatures are likely to be above average overall, with a risk of hot weather and heatwaves later in August.
“At this range, it is not possible to say exactly where any heatwave conditions would occur, how intense they might be, or how long they could last. Heatwave development will depend on the position and strength of high pressure, the source of the air moving across the UK, and whether any Atlantic or thundery interruptions break down the warmer pattern.
“So, while the end of July and start of August look a little more unsettled, the chance of more notable warmth increases later in August. The most likely outcome is a transition from mixed weather at first towards something drier, warmer and more settled as the month goes on.”
Mixed start to August
Fortunately, there may be some rain in between which could help ease water shortages. The Met Office stated: “For anyone hoping for an immediate return to widespread hot, settled weather, the first part of August may therefore be rather mixed. While temperatures are still likely to be above average overall, the weather pattern does not point to a prolonged settled spell straight away.”
