After a sweltering week of weather across the UK and Europe, temperatures have cooled down slightly this week, but this respite is not expected to last, with a potential third heatwave on the horizon. The Met Office confirmed that the UK set a June temperature record of 37.7°C on Friday, June 26, recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk, east of Norwich.
Climate change fuels extreme heat
In light of the extreme conditions, scientists warned last week that such an intense heatwave would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago, with human-driven climate change fuelling more intense and frequent extreme heat events. While temperatures have cooled to the late teens or high 20s this week across most of the UK, another hot spell has been forecast to hit next week, with temperatures reaching 30°C across parts of southern England.
Met Office forecast for next week
The UK weather agency said that by the weekend, high pressure is expected to extend further across the UK, bringing more widespread fine and settled weather. Most areas will see plenty of dry conditions and sunny spells, the Met Office says, although northern regions could still see occasional fronts bringing cloud and some rain at times. The Met Office states: "At this stage, while another period of heat is possible, it is not expected to reach the exceptional levels or humidity experienced during the recent heatwave."
40 areas set to hit 30°C on July 6
According to the Met Office's temperature maps, the heat is likely to peak on Monday, July 6, when many southern and Midlands areas are expected to reach 30°C or higher. The 40 UK areas forecast to hit 30°C or higher on that day include: Bromley, London, Dartford, Epsom, Reading, Newbury, Andover, Slough, High Wycombe, Didcot, Oxford, Chigwell, Watford, Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester, Harlow, St Albans, Haverhill, Ipswich, Stowmarket, Thetford, Ely, Huntingdon, Wellingborough, Buckingham, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Evesham, Bicester, Bourne, Stamford, Peterborough, Basingstoke, Guildford, Sudbury, Braintree, and Norwich.
