Most of England is set to be blasted with balmy temperatures midway through this month, with the map turning red, orange, and yellow in all but a handful of counties. The UK saw a baking start to the summer with three heatwaves and the hottest June on record in England. Many areas have experienced cooler, wet and windy conditions in recent days due to Storm Floris, but forecasts suggest the rest of August may see more summery conditions return.
On August 15, much of southern Britain south of Manchester will be seeing temperatures in the mid to high 20s by 6pm UTC (7pm BST) with large swathes of England seeing 27C, and temps as high as 30C in some areas. However, parts of around nine English counties look set to be just below the 20 mark.
These include a thin strip along Norfolk’s northern coast, as well as parts of Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Durham, and Northumberland, where temperatures look set to be slightly lower, ranging between 17 and 18 °C.
Temps also look set to be slightly cooler on the south-western tip of Cornwall, and the eastern tip of Kent, with temps ranging from around 17-19C, and at 19C respectively.
Meanwhile, Somerset looks set to see the highest temperatures at that time, rising as high as 30C, the maps suggest.
Major towns and cities across England look set to be in the mid to high 20s including Manchester, Stoke, Birmingham, Worcester, Luton, and Southampton.
Temperatures in Wales look set to range from around 18C-19C in some coastal areas up to the mid-20s.
In Scotland, temperatures of between 19C and 22C are expected in the southern half of the country, including Glasgow and the capital, Edinburgh.
Temperatures further north could be slightly cooler ranging from around the mid mid teens up to around 18 and 19C, with max and only rising as high as 13C in Kirkwall, the maps suggest.
Northern Ireland looks set for top temps in the high teens and as high as 20 across much of the nation.
The Met Office’s long-range forecast covering Sunday, August 10 to Wednesday, September 3, anticipates that the start of this period, “may bring some strong winds and rain to the north of the UK before an Atlantic weather system erratically crosses all parts”.
“Ahead of this, potential for some very warm and humid weather to affect parts of the south and east in particular. Looking towards mid-August, and high pressure is more likely to dominate the weather across the UK.
“This will bring plenty of a dry weather for the most part, though northern areas may see a rather more changeable theme with occasional rain or showers and breezier conditions at times.
It adds: “Above average temperatures are more likely than not, especially in the south, where it could also be rather humid.”
Looking towards the hours ahead, Tuesday night is expected to be dry for most with clear spells, “however it will be cloudier in the far north of Scotland with some outbreaks of rain”, the national weather agency says.
“Remaining breezy in the far north, but lighter winds elsewhere leading to a cooler night.”
Wendnesday is then expected to be a “fine day for most” with “plenty of sunshine although skies will turn cloudier across the west later”, the Met Office says, adding: “Feeling warmer with light winds.”
Full list of 9 hottest counties according to weather maps
Norfolk
Lincolnshire
East Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
Cumbria
Durham
Northumberland
Cornwall
Kent