Scorching temperatures are set to hit the country in the coming days with a risk of thunderstorms with the heatwave triggering a rain spell for millions of Brits but it’s not the end of hot weather
Sweltering Brits will be hit with more heatwave misery as the Met Office has issued its latest long range forecast.
Forecasters warned of continued hot spells and heatwaves through to the end of July, particularly in the southeast. The Met Office said in its long-range forecast for between July 15 and July 24 there would be just hints of a break from the oppressive heat that will bake the country. Fresher air and scattered showers are expected in parts of the UK, in particular Scotland and the west, South East. Other southerly regions are expected to remain warm with “continued and perhaps higher than normal, chance of occasional hot spells or heatwaves.”
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Changeable weather conditions are expected across the UK during this forecast period. Periods of fine and dry weather are expected at times.
“These settled spells could persist for several days at a time and are likely to be accompanied by plenty of sunshine. Interspersed with this will be cloudier, more unsettled intervals which will bring some showers or longer spells of persistent rainfall.
“Some of the rainfall is likely to be heavy in places, with a risk of thunderstorms at times as well. Temperatures are expected to be above normal for the majority of the UK throughout this period. Some hot conditions are likely to develop at times, particularly in southern and eastern areas of the UK.”
More changeable conditions are expected across the US from July 26 through to August 9. Periods of fine and dry weather will be interspersed with more unsettled intervals bringing showers or longer spells of rain, these being heavy at times.
The Met Office added: “Temperatures are expected to be above normal and it could be hot at times in parts of the south and east.” The upcoming baking temperatures comes as Brits across the country enduring searing heat as we head into the weekend. There was some brief respite earlier this week, but the mercury was sent to the high 20s to low 30s.
But heatwaves appear to be a key feature of this summer. The Met Office defines a heatwave as an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which might be accompanied by high humidity.
“A UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold,” The Met Office said.
“Heatwaves are most common in summer when high pressure develops across an area. High pressure systems are slow moving and can persist over an area for a prolonged period of time, such as days or weeks. They can occur in the UK due to the location of the jet stream, which is usually to the north of the UK in the summer.”