Temperatures in London could be higher than Ibiza over the next week
The latest Met Office weather forecast for London has a heatwave being declared in the coming days but an expert is warning not to expect a repeat of the “wall-to-wall sunshine” experienced in May. Temperatures are currently set to reach 30C on Friday (June 19) and then for three days in a row from Sunday (June 21) which would see the threshold for a heatwave being officially met.
A Yellow Heat-Health Alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which means temperatures could lead to impacts on the health and wellbeing of some people. This covers London and the south east of England from today (Wednesday, June 17) and remains in place until Monday (June 22).
However, alongside the warmth the Met Office is warning there is a slight chance of thunderstorms across south eastern England. Deputy Chief Forecaster, Gregory Wolverson, said: “This week’s weather reflects a contrast we often see in summer, with more unsettled conditions passing to the north west of the UK while heat builds in the south and east.
“As we move towards the weekend, we’ll see conditions become more widely settled and temperatures rise all round. Many parts of southern and eastern England are likely to see temperatures high enough to meet heatwave thresholds.
“It’s important to note that while temperatures may be high, we might not all see the wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies we experienced back in May because there is more cloud around. There is also a chance of thunderstorms developing in places, particularly later each day, which could bring heavy showers and localised impacts.”
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Temperatures are expected to climb steadily, with southern parts of England approaching 30C by Friday, depending on cloud cover, and becoming very warm more widely through the weekend.
“Some areas in the south and south east of England are likely to see heatwave criteria met by Saturday and more widely on Sunday, with the potential for temperatures to reach the low 30s in the warmest locations.
“Headline maximum temperatures for the period are 32C on Friday in East Anglia, 28C on Saturday as the warmest air temporarily shifts away from the UK, 32C in the south and southeast of England on Sunday and the potential for 33C in the same areas on Monday as warm conditions build again from the south.”
A high of 35.1C was measured at Kew Gardens in London on May 26, a new record for the month of May, while temperatures topped 30C six days in a row in some areas.
Latest London weather forecast in full
According to the Met Office the London weather forecast for the next week is:
Wednesday, June 17 – 25C with sunny intervals. Humidity at a high of 78%
Thursday, June 18 – 27C with sunny intervals. Humidity at a high of 86%
Friday, June 19 – 30C sunshine. Humidity at a high of 84%
Saturday, June 20 – 27C with sunny intervals. Humidity at a high of 84%
Sunday, June 21 – 30C sunshine. Humidity at a high of 72%
Monday, June 22 – 30C sunshine. Humidity at a high of 78%
Tuesday, June 23 – 30C sunshine. Humidity at a high of 76%
Heatwave rules for London
In the UK, a heatwave is officially declared when a location records at least three consecutive days with temperatures meeting or exceeding the temperature threshold. This threshold varies by county, reflecting the diverse climate across the UK.
In London temperatures need to hit at least 28C for three days.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
.jpeg?trim=60,0,60,0&auto=webp&quality=75&width=1200 "Revealed: How three Iran-backed ‘terror masterminds plotted multiple attacks’ on London")
