Large parts of the UK are set to bake in scorching temperatures this week, with the latest weather maps from Netweather.tv showing highs of 33C on Wednesday, July 8. The Met Office has indicated that a third heatwave is likely for the country, as a band of hot air spreads across most regions.
Hottest Areas on Wednesday
According to the weather charts, at least 12 areas could see temperatures above 30C. The hottest spots are expected in London, Surrey, and Kent, all reaching 33C. Other areas forecast to exceed 30C include West Sussex (33C), East Sussex (33C), Oxford (32C), Gloucester (32C), Dorset (31C), Somerset (31C), Cambridge (31C), Leicester (31C), and South Yorkshire (31C). Even northern areas will experience highs of 25C.
Met Office Forecast
The Met Office's outlook for Wednesday to Friday states: "Cloudy and rain start to clear across the north with some outbreaks across western Scotland. Fine and dry elsewhere with plenty of sunny spells and staying hot in the south." This suggests a continued warm and dry spell for much of England and Wales.
Expert Commentary
Nick Finnis from Netweather.tv wrote in his weather blog: "High pressure looks to build further north on Wednesday, so eastern Scotland and N. Ireland perhaps joining England and Wales and become drier and sunnier, cloudier across western Scotland, perhaps thick enough for drizzle. Hot again for southern, central and eastern England - temperatures reaching 30-33C, mid to high 20s elsewhere across England and Wales."
He added: "It looks increasingly like it could turn even hotter across the southern half of England and Wales on Thursday and Friday, as we start to draw a southeasterly flow off a hot near continent along with higher humidity too, so we could see temperatures reach 35C across southern England and perhaps 33C as far north as the Vale of York."
Potential for Even Higher Temperatures
Finnis noted that Thursday and Friday could bring even more intense heat, with southern England possibly reaching 35C. The high pressure is expected to drift north, bringing dry and sunny conditions to eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland, while northwestern Scotland may remain cooler with cloudier skies and a chance of rain on Thursday.
