The UK's imminent heatwave is set to come to an abrupt end this week, with temperatures dropping to 9C on Friday. The Met Office has warned that much of southern and central England will experience a heatwave this week, with temperatures likely to peak around 36C on Thursday for some.
Heat peaks Thursday
Following what was provisionally the second-warmest July on record for the UK, the weather will see many sweating in uncharacteristically warm temperatures throughout the week. However, conditions are set to change from Friday, with the UK set for a cooler period as it heads into the weekend.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster David Oliver said: “While Thursday will be the peak of the heat this week, some warmth will remain in the south and southeast on Friday, before easing more widely on Saturday as cooler air spreads south from the northwest.”
Cooler air and rain
He added: “The driver for this week’s heat is high pressure, this becoming dominant over the next day or so, bringing plenty of sunshine and allowing temperatures to build day-by-day. Southerly or southeasterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe, meaning we’re looking at further notable heat for many this week, likely peaking on Thursday.”
The agency’s outlook for Wednesday to Friday reads: “Outbreaks of rain reaching western Scotland and Northern Ireland from mid-week, with sunshine prevailing elsewhere. Increasingly very hot across the south, and turning very warm in the north.”
Weekend forecast
On Saturday, it added: “Sunny spells and showers in the north on Saturday, with mainly dry weather in the south. Through Sunday and into the start of the following week, Atlantic frontal systems will probably approach or move across the UK, bringing some rain in places, perhaps heavy at times. Temperatures will likely be near normal or slightly above.”
Separately, weather maps from forecaster WXCharts.com confirm the Met Office’s prediction, with volcanic red images on Thursday turning green on Friday as temperatures mercifully ease. The data shows that temperatures are expected to remain warm through Sunday, with much of England and Wales staying in the mid-to-high teens even overnight.
Regional divide
The warmest conditions are likely across southern and eastern England, while Scotland will feel noticeably fresher. However, conditions look set to turn increasingly unsettled as a band of rain pushes in from the Atlantic. Western Scotland, Northern Ireland and western parts of Britain are likely to bear the brunt, with some areas potentially seeing several centimetres of rain. The south and east should escape the worst of the downpours, leaving a marked divide across the country between warmer and largely drier conditions in the east and much wetter weather further west.
