The UK is expected to face a potential heatwave later next week, following a period of cold and rainy weather, according to forecasts from the Met Office. Temperatures are projected to rise across the country, with the east and southeast of England likely to experience a heatwave over the weekend of June 20 and 21. Weather experts anticipate temperatures exceeding 30C starting from Thursday, June 18.
During a briefing on the Met Office’s YouTube channel, forecaster Alex Burkill mentioned that warmer weather is expected this weekend, with even hotter conditions anticipated the following weekend. He emphasized the likelihood of a heatwave occurrence, with some predictions indicating temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s, and potentially even hotter.
The upcoming weekend and early next week are predicted to bring sunny intervals across much of the UK. The weather is set to remain dry and warm on Monday, with variable cloud cover, before rainfall moves into the northwest by Tuesday. From Wednesday to Friday, temperatures are forecasted to be above average, especially in the southeast where it could be very warm or hot at times.
Forecaster Alex Brikill highlighted that temperatures are likely to reach the high 20s starting from Thursday, June 18, potentially leading some parts of the UK into heatwave conditions. The models suggest temperatures around 27C to 28C in central and eastern regions by the end of next week. While Thursday might mark the initial surge in temperatures, a continuous rise is expected through the weekend, potentially surpassing the heatwave threshold.
Officially, a heatwave in the UK is declared by the Met Office when a location records at least three consecutive days with maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding a specific threshold. For the east and southeast regions, this threshold is set at 27C and 28C for London. The long-range forecast indicates above-normal temperatures for most areas in the last two weeks of June and into July, with the potential for very warm or hot conditions, especially in the south.
Looking ahead to the period from Saturday, June 27, to Saturday, July 11, temperatures are expected to remain above normal, with the possibility of hot conditions developing, particularly in the southern parts of the UK.
