A third heatwave this year has brought temperatures as high as 34C to the capital – and more sizzling weather is on the way.
It follows record-breaking temperatures at the end of June, with heat and humidity playing havoc with public services as Londoners sweltered and flocked to lidos across the city.
An unprecedented heatwave in late May saw temperatures reach 35.1C in Kew Gardens – the highest temperature for the month ever recorded in the UK.
Now, the mercury is on the rise once again, with 34C reached on Monday as the third heatwave of the year took hold.
People queue for a river taxi in Westminster, central London, during the heatwave
PA Wire
What’s the forecast for the next few days?
According to the Met Office’s latest forecast (as of 10am on Wednesday), daily peak temperatures will stay above the 28C threshold for an official heatwave through until the start of next week.
After that, temperatures are predicted to drop slightly, with 27C forecast for Monday and Tuesday.
If this pans out, it would mean London will have basked in an eight-day heatwave.
Could the heatwave last even longer?
BBC Weather’s Chris Fawkes, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today on Wednesday, said current forecasts mean the heatwave is likely to be “incredibly long-lived” in parts of the UK.
He added: “Somewhere in the UK is likely to reach 30C not just through the rest of this week., through the weekend but through the whole of next week as well.”
It would only take a small upward tick in forecasted temperatures for that prediction to apply to London.
