Met Office weather forecasters have warned that, while relief from the heatwave conditions is on the horizon, it will come with an added risk of ‘heavy, thundery rain’
Forecasters have pinpointed the moment the scorching 35C heatwave is set to end, with some relief on the horizon for burned-out Brits.
UK temperatures have hit an uncomfortable 30C again this weekend as the uncomfortable heat continues to grip the country, with the mercury set to build over the next few days. At its peak, the heatwave could top out at 35C, marking a 2025 milestone most people will struggle to navigate. Weather maps have shown a resolute end to the heat is on the horizon, but the temperatures could shift with a stormy and rainy bang this coming week.
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The latest imaging from WXCharts shows temperatures reaching the most extreme highs on Monday and Tuesday, as the severe heat crosses the English Channel from France and pushes the mercury well above the seasonal average.
London and the southeast will be hit with the worst of the heat, as the capital warms to 35C alongside Luton, Cambridge and parts of coastal Essex including Southend-on-Sea, and Kent. Barely cooler 34C highs will dominate nearby Colchester, Norwich, Peterborough and Leicester towards the Midlands, as will Northampton, Reading, Oxford and Southampton.
Surrounding areas, up to the Welsh border and Newcastle far in the northeast, will hit a similar range, with temperatures between 31C and 33C sticking well into the evening.
While temperatures across the country will drop slightly on Tuesday, they remain sticky hot at 30C and above, with significant relief not set to arrive until Friday, July 4. Then, temperatures will have dropped more than 10C from the record-setting few days prior, with the highest highs clocking in at around 22C in Reading.
The change will mark 5C drop from Wednesday and Thursday which, while not as hot as the preceding days, could still hit stuffy 27C highs.
And although temperatures will drop, Brits won’t be quite lucky enough to dodge every weather extreme, with the Met Office predicting storms on the horizon. The coming “widely cooler” conditions will come after explosive “heavy, thundery rain” across England and Wales.
The Met Office’s long range forecast for Thursday, July 3 to Saturday, July 12 states: “There is a chance of heavy, thundery rain affecting parts of England and Wales at first, but otherwise turning widely cooler and fresher with sunshine and just a few showers.
“Generally speaking, high pressure is more likely to dominate through the first part of July, bringing plenty of fine weather, particularly across southern areas of the UK. Into the second week of the month, a gradual transition to rather more changeable conditions is forecast to take place, especially further to the northwest.
“Here, showers or some longer spells of rain are possible, along with breezier conditions at times. The drier, brighter and warmer conditions are more likely to hang on in southeastern areas for longer.”