Britons are bracing for another wave of intense heat as weather maps indicate temperatures could climb to 35°C next week, following a record-breaking June. The Met Office confirmed a provisional UK June temperature record of 37.7°C was set last Friday in Lingwood, Norfolk, surpassing the previous June record of 35.6°C from 1976 by more than 2°C.
Heatwave Forecast for July 8-9
Weather maps from Netweather show that on Wednesday, July 8, temperatures are expected to reach the low 30s across large parts of southern and central England, with an isolated high of 35°C possible in parts of Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties. By Thursday, July 9, the extreme heat zone expands and shifts eastward, bringing the highest temperatures to London, the Home Counties, Essex, Kent, and East Anglia.
According to the Met Office, temperatures in the south this week will be in the low to mid-20s before rising to the high 20s or early 30s over the weekend and into next week. The Met Office forecast for July 6-15 states: "High pressure will dominate across England and Wales into next week, likely extending its influence across more of the northern UK with time. This will bring dry and warm conditions with plenty of sunshine for most."
Regional Breakdown
On Wednesday, large swathes of southern and central England will see temperatures in the low 30s. By Thursday, more counties are expected to exceed 30°C, with the Midlands also remaining above 30°C. Further north, parts of Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside could near 30°C. Wales is forecast to see temperatures widely in the mid to high 20s, while eastern Scotland might reach 27-28°C. Northern Ireland, western Scotland, and the far north are expected to stay cooler.
Areas Set for 30°C or More
The following 30 areas are forecast to see temperatures of 30°C or more on Wednesday and/or Thursday: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Yorkshire.
The Met Office added: "Scotland and Northern Ireland will probably see more cloud at first, with periods of rain at times. Through next week though the high pressure may extend northwards to bring periods of drier and warmer weather to Scotland and Northern Ireland. Temperatures becoming widely warm, perhaps locally hot in parts of the southeast, although not as hot nor humid as seen in the past week."
