Parts of the UK are set for several days of blistering heat as temperatures could rise into the mid-30Cs due to a ‘heat dome’ caused by a high pressure system over the continent
Brits have three sweltering days ahead as a ‘heat dome’ hits, as parts of the country could hit 34C.
According to the latest Met Office report, Monday could be the hottest day of the year. The national weather agency’s forecasters reckon temperatures are likely to exceed 30C in central and eastern England quite widely, possibly reaching as high as 34C in London and towards Cambridge. Last Saturday holds the current record for hottest day of 2025, when 33.2C was recorded in Charlwood, near Gatwick. But another dramatic rise in temperatures is now on the cards thanks to a high pressure system over the continent.
The so-called ‘heat dome’ is due to hot air trapped by high pressure taking hold in Europe. Temperature maps show that the hottest parts over the next three days are in central and eastern England where the mercury could rise above 30C.
The Met Office outlook for Saturday reads: “Cloud and rain in the north becoming confined to central parts later. Otherwise, sunny spells developing either side. Feeling hot in the southeast, but rather cool in the northwest.”
And for Tuesday to Sunday it continues: “Dry with sunny spells for many places, but some rain mainly affecting the far northwest at times. Turning hot in southern areas, particularly in the southeast, with warm nights too.”
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin, has told how the “eastern zone” will see most heat while there could be some rain in the north. “The weekend is going to be a hot one. For most of us, though, it’s going to be a fairly grey start and it will be quite a damp start through central Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland,” he said.
“That rain should be edging away to the south, so Belfast cheering up, Glasgow, Edinburgh also looking brighter by the time we get to Saturday lunchtime, and a much brighter day overall for the Highlands of Scotland.
“Still quite breezy, quite a gusty wind blowing here. Quite a grey day over the far north of England, rain on and off across Cumbria. North Wales likely to see a bit of rain, particularly Anglesey at times. But a good chunk of England and Wales will stay dry and we’ll have some sunshine, certainly for East Wales, much of southwest England, the Midlands and eastern England too. And it’s in this eastern zone where we’ll see the highest temperatures, likely to get up to 29, 30 degrees in and around the capital.
“So, the heat starting to pick up through Saturday and into Saturday night. It’ll be very warm. We’ll continue with a zone of cloudier weather over Cumbria bringing some rain and drizzle, northern parts of Lanarkshire, and again the far northwest of Wales. But either side of it, many places staying dry and staying fine on Saturday evening, a balmy evening certainly across the south. The winds will be lighter in southern areas on Saturday compared to today.
“On Sunday, again a very warm night, so a humid start. And still a zone of cloudier weather over parts of Northern England, North Wales. The rain should be petering out, but we may see another pulse of rain just pushing back towards Northern Ireland later on. For most places, though, Sunday is dry.
“Again, a much cooler, fresher feel across Scotland and Northern Ireland compared to further south, where again, where we see some sunshine, and it perhaps won’t be quite as sunny on Saturday, a bit more cloud around, so again that humid feel. We should still get up to 30, perhaps even 31 in the capital.”