The United Kingdom is bracing for a blistering start to August, with temperatures set to reach 30C in several regions. New weather data from WXCharts.com indicates that on August 2, parts of Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, and the Home Counties will hit the 30C mark, while much of the country experiences high 20s or above.
Counties Exceeding 27C
A total of 46 counties are forecast to see temperatures above 27C. The full list includes Armagh, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cardiff, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Down, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Essex, Flintshire, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Monmouthshire, Newport, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Powys, Rutland, Shropshire, Somerset, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Midlands, West Sussex, West Yorkshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Wrexham.
Regional Breakdown
Scotland will see the coolest conditions, with temperatures averaging in the low twenties. Northern England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will experience temperatures exceeding 25C in many areas. The Met Office long-range forecast for July 24 to August 3 warns of rain towards the end of July, followed by a return to dry and hot weather at the start of August.
Met Office Forecast
The Met Office stated: "This rain may very well reach southern areas too, but could become more light and patchy here. Confidence becomes lower as we approach the turn of the month, but there are signs that high pressure will return, which means dry conditions would resume, especially in the south. Winds will be mostly light or moderate, occasionally fresh around northern coasts. Temperatures are expected to be near or above normal, warmest in the south, perhaps becoming very warm again by the start of August."
Record-Breaking Year
This year has already seen remarkable temperature milestones. According to Met Office Science Manager Dr. Amy Doherty: "This year has already seen a number of remarkable temperature milestones. Not only have we now recorded a record eight days with temperatures exceeding 34°C, surpassing the previous record held by 1976 and 2020, but it is also the first year in the UK weather record to see temperatures reach 35°C or higher in May, June and July. These records highlight just how notable this year has been for UK temperatures, with exceptional warmth observed across multiple months."
