The Met Office has warned of an increased risk of heatwaves this summer, with UK weather maps showing temperatures could reach 30C in London by Wednesday, June 17. Forecasts from WXCharts indicate that the south east, south west and Midlands are also set for widespread highs of 28C or more.
The latest three-month outlook from the Met Office suggests that chances of a hot summer are higher than normal, with an increased chance of heatwaves and heat-related impacts. This follows a record-breaking spell of heat last week, when temperatures hit 35.1C at Kew Gardens in London.
The forecaster attributes the outlook to warming UK climate conditions and a likely El Niño weather phenomenon. El Niño, caused by rising waters in the Pacific Ocean, has the potential to turbocharge heat across the planet, raising fears of more extreme weather hitting the UK. The Met Office has previously warned of growing confidence that El Niño conditions could strengthen significantly.
June itself is tipped to be warmer than usual, although Atlantic weather systems are expected to bring showers and longer spells of rain at the start of the month. Mid-June could see more settled conditions develop, with higher pressure bringing drier and sunnier weather for many parts of the country, and temperatures likely to sit above average overall.
MeteoGroup has warned of a "few notable high temperature spikes" and "above-average temperatures" for June, July and August, as well as "significant bursts" of heat in the UK and across Europe. Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: "This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK's weather and the longer-term warming we are observing. While conditions varied through the season, all three months of meteorological spring recorded mean temperatures within the UK's top ten warmest on record."
