We’re not out of the woods yet, with the heat showing little sign of abating
Another day, another heatwave.
We’re only just out of the last one, but BBC Weather forecasters are predicting that we could be seeing a fifth heatwave in mid-August. It’s important to bear in mind that forecasts this far ahead are liable to change but, as it stands, it’s set to qualify as heatwave.
The threshold is different across the country – in London, a heatwave means three or more days on the trot during which temperatures reach 28C or higher. That looks to be the case between Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 August.
That’s also as far as the forecast goes, so it’s worth noting that it could continue beyond that.
The Met Office, meanwhile, thinks the next heatwave could be sooner, beginning as soon as Sunday (August 2) and continuing until Tuesday (August 4). It predicts temperatures will stay in the high-twenties for the duration, so not the worst heatwave we’ve had, but still not especially pleasant.
For the time being, however, we’re due some more comfortable weather. It will still be sunny, but with temperatures in the mid-twenties.
On Tuesday next week (August 4), we could be seeing some rain and even some thunderstorms in the mid-afternoon. That being said, meteorologists tend to operate on a likelihood scale so you can plan accordingly.
Currently, there is an 18% chance of thundery showers between 2pm and 4pm. In short, storms aren’t guaranteed, but maybe take an umbrella to work.
This is a change from yesterday’s forecast for a similar time period, illustrating how changeable it is. Yesterday, it looked as though every day between August 4 and 12 would see rain, a much needed relief for those of us with gardens.
The BBC’s long-range forecast, which runs from August 10 to August 23, says: “Temperatures are still most likely to be above the August average right across the UK into late August, and potentially at times well above, especially in the south.”
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