Temperatures are expected to soar to 36C for parts of England, hotter than Barcelona this week, as heatwave conditions return to many parts of the country.
Following a dry, sunny and warm weekend for many across England and Wales this weekend, parts of the country will be hotter than the Catalan tourist hotspot, which can only expect highs of 33C on Friday, while the Met Office has predicted temperatures will climb “significantly” across the UK this week.
Monday is expected to see a brief dip in temperatures following a sweltering weekend, with highs of 27C to 29C forecast, before temperatures then rise day by day. Temperatures are expected to rise to 30C across parts of England and Wales on Tuesday, increasing to between 32C and 34C on Wednesday.
While weather maps currently show peaks of 34C across the southeast and East Anglia, the Met Office said temperatures are likely to rise to 36C in parts of those regions on Thursday.
Deputy chief forecaster Mike Silverstone said that the heatwave is expected to be fairly widespread across England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland experiencing high temperatures on Wednesday.
“Temperatures will climb through the weekend and, more significantly, through much of next week. After a brief dip on Monday, high pressure will move across the UK before settling to the east, allowing a southerly flow to develop,” he said.
“A fairly widespread heatwave is likely across large parts of England and Wales, with hot conditions developing in places. The heat is expected to peak for much of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland on Wednesday, with up to 34C possible in parts of central and southern England and southeast Wales. East Anglia and south-east England, however, could see temperatures even higher on Thursday.
“Humidity levels are also expected to increase through the week, which may make conditions feel more uncomfortable, particularly overnight.”
The UK has experienced a consistent north-south split in the weather across this summer, with Scotland and Northern Ireland seeing heavy spells of rain over the weekend while half of England and the whole of Wales remains under a drought with emergency services warning of tinderbox conditions.
Nevertheless, temperatures are expected to reach 26C in Edinburgh on Wednesday, with Belfast seeing balmy 25C. Further south, temperatures will remain above 30C across England and Wales. The mercury is expected to peak at 30C as north as Leeds on Wednesday.
These temperatures will stretch further north on Thursday with Newcastle-upon-Tyne experiencing 30C while Leeds and York experience scorching 33C heat.
A number of yellow heat health alerts have been issued for parts of England from 9am on Saturday until Tuesday at 9pm, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warning adverse impacts on the elderly and vulnerable population.
Yorkshire and the Humber, the east Midlands, west Midlands, east of England, London, the south east and south west of England will all be under heat health alerts with the watchdog warning of a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.
Met Office five day weather forecast
Today:
Dry for most today with some patchy cloud and sunny spells. A few showers possible in the northeast of Scotland. Very warm in the south, fresher in the north.
Tonight:
Cloudy in the far northwest with some patchy rain moving in . Dry elsewhere with clear spells and a few mist and fog patches.
Tuesday:
Dry and sunny for most. Cloudier across Northern Ireland and western Scotland with some patchy rain at times. Very warm for most.
Wednesday to Friday:
Outbreaks of rain reaching western Scotland and Northern Ireland from mid-week, with sunshine prevailing elsewhere. Increasingly very hot across the south, and turning very warm in the north.
