UK temperatures are set to plunge within days, ending the current heatwave, with the mercury potentially dropping to as low as 4C in some areas. New weather maps from WXCharts.com show a cold blast hitting the UK on August 23, particularly affecting Scotland and northern England, where lows could range from 4C to 8C at 6am.
Cold blast to hit Scotland and the north
Conditions are expected to be milder elsewhere, but temperatures will drop considerably and stay below 15C. The maps indicate that 39 counties across Scotland and England will see temperatures below 10C on August 23.
A Met Office forecast covering the period including August 23 reads: "A rather more changeable spell of weather through the mid to latter part of August, with Atlantic frontal systems bringing some rain or showers at times to the UK."
Rain and cooler conditions expected
The forecast adds: "The heavier and more reliable rainfall is more likely to be in parts of the west and northwest, but it is possible that some southern and eastern areas will see rain at times too." However, it also notes that "later in the period high pressure may have more of an influence with drier conditions returning for many areas. Temperatures are likely to remain above average overall, with the possibility of further hot weather developing."
The cold blast comes after the UK recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, with temperatures provisionally reaching 38.1C at Kew Gardens in London, according to the Met Office. This is the second time this year the country has seen 38C, surpassing the previous high of 38C recorded in late June during a heatwave accompanied by a rare "red warning" for extreme temperatures.
Counties expecting below 10C on August 23
The counties forecast to see temperatures below 10C on August 23 include all 32 counties in Scotland, such as Angus, Argyll, Ayrshire, and Banffshire, as well as seven counties in northern England: Northumberland, Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, and Yorkshire.
