The prolonged heatwave across the UK is set to break, with rain and thunderstorms forecast for the coming weekend. Temperatures have been near 34°C, but Met Office warnings indicate thundery showers will move across the country, starting in Scotland and Northern Ireland before spreading elsewhere.
Despite the impending wet weather, forecasters predict the sweltering conditions could return and persist until October. The current hot spell, driven by high pressure and clear skies, is a temporary blip, with hot weather expected to resume next week.
The UK has experienced one of the driest starts to summer since records began in 1961, with only 59mm of rain. June was the hottest month in over 40 years, and July was the hottest on record in the south, with an average temperature of 26.2°C. However, the highest UK temperature ever recorded remains 38.5°C in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.
Met Office forecaster Steven Keates noted that the heat originates from around the Mediterranean. The World Meteorological Organisation defines a heatwave as five consecutive days exceeding the average maximum by 5°C, and forecasters suggest the UK could see up to eight such events this summer.
