The Met Office has issued its verdict on a possible heatwave this week as temperatures are forecast to hit 30C. According to the weather agency, South-east England could reach 27C on Wednesday and remain warm into the weekend. It added that by the end of the week, there is a chance of the region seeing 30C, though cloud cover could affect the highest temperatures.
Forecaster's Comments
Met Office forecaster Kathryn Chalk said: "We're definitely seeing a warming trend from midweek onwards. Relatively warm and humid nights are also on the cards—not as expected as what we had a few weeks ago, because it won't be wall-to-wall sunshine like that; we had a stronger signal for that compared to this, but nevertheless it is going to be turning warmer."
Heatwave Definition
This means the Met Office is not forecasting a heatwave. A heatwave is three consecutive days of temperatures exceeding a certain threshold, which varies depending on the region.
End of Month Forecast
The end of the month could be even hotter, according to new maps by Netweather, with London potentially reaching a scorching 34C on June 30. Areas in South England are due to be the warmest, with temperatures reaching 33C along the south coast.
Long-Range Outlook
Separately, the Met Office forecast for June 20 to July 13 reads: "High pressure is expected to lie close to the UK at the start of this period, bringing plenty of dry, settled weather. Temperatures will likely be above normal, with the potential for hot conditions, accompanied by occasional thunderstorms, especially in the south. Towards mid July, the influence of high pressure may weaken or shift more to the north or west of the UK, bringing an increasing chance of unsettled weather and thunderstorms more widely compared to the start of the period, but still more especially in the south. Temperatures will probably ease back closer to normal too, although some warm and humid spells remain likely at times."
