Large parts of the UK are set to see temperatures exceed 30C again on August 13, according to new weather data from WXCharts.com. The maps show southern and eastern England turning red as a blast of summer heat sweeps across the region.
Hottest in the South East
The hottest conditions are expected to be focused on London and the South East, with highs of around 30C to 31C. Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex and surrounding counties are firmly in the firing line, while the Midlands, the Home Counties, East Anglia and much of the South could see temperatures climbing beyond 27C.
Parts of the West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Somerset and southern Lincolnshire could still reach 28C. The heat becomes less intense farther north and west, with Wales, northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland considerably cooler, generally ranging from the high teens to the mid-20s. Some northern regions could see isolated showers as the day progresses.
Cooler days to follow
August 13 will be the peak of the high temperatures, with WXCharts.com predicting that the following days will see cooler temperatures in the low to mid twenties.
A Met Office long-range forecast for 8 August to 17 August predicted that the UK was unlikely to be hit by the “exceptional heat” seen in recent months. It said: “Towards mid August, high pressure may become rather more dominant towards the north or northwest of the UK, with lower pressure at times further to the south or east.”
“This means there is a greater chance of frontal systems or thundery interludes to affect southern and eastern areas, certainly in comparison to recent weeks, though rainfall amounts could be quite variable with some areas seeing relatively little. For the most part, temperatures look to remain above average, especially in the south, though perhaps without the exceptional heat we have seen in recent weeks.”
Driest July in 190 years
The weather comes as both England and Wales are on course to record their driest July in 190 years, with several counties across England having seen less than 1mm of rainfall during the entire month. Provisional Met Office figures show that southern England has been particularly dry, seeing 1.5mm of rainfall – just 2% of its long-term average rainfall for the month.
Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: “The headline story for July is undoubtedly the rainfall. Across parts of England and Wales we've seen extraordinarily low totals, with some locations recording little or no meaningful rainfall for much of the month. Provisional figures suggest this could be one of the driest Julys in nearly two centuries of records, which is particularly notable when coupled with the exceptional heat experienced so far this summer.”
