A large part of the UK looks set to bake once again in scorching temperatures in just a matter of weeks, weather maps suggest. According to the latest WXCharts weather maps, generated on July 29, much of southeast England will see the mercury rise to plus-30C on Friday, August 8, in what could be the fourth heatwave of the summer so far.
Dramatic GFS model projections show a huge wave of heat with temperatures well above 25C in many areas sweeping across mainland Europe before descending on the south of the UK by 6pm on August 8. Some of the hottest temperatures are predicted to be felt in the capital, as far east as Canterbury all the way across to Bristol and Weston-super-Mare on the other side of the country. The maps, generated using Met Desk data, suggest Oxford will face the highest temperatures on the day, with 32C predicted at 6pm.
Yet, according to the latest maps, the south coast will not be alone in facing the blistering heat. Cities as far north as Cambridge and Northampton are also predicted to reach highs of 30C.
While the highest temperatures are predicted for southern and central England, the rest of the UK will not miss out on balmy summer temperatures. Cornwall and the west coast look set to enjoy temperatures in the high to low 20s.
Meanwhile, near Norwich and Ipswich, temperatures are predicted to hit 26 to 27C. Nottingham, meanwhile, will face even higher temperatures of 28C.
The above average temperatures of up to 27C are set to continue, particularly in southeast England until August 12, potentially meeting the Met Office’s criteria for a heatwave – defined as a period of at least three consecutive days where the daily temperature exceeds a regional threshold.
The agency’s long-range forecast, covering the first week-and-a-half of August, predicts that high pressure in the southwest and east will maintain “dry and fine weather” early next month. While Scotland and Northern Ireland could initially experience “unsettled and conditions and breezy winds”, sunny and dry weather will become widespread as the month continues and “high pressure to the southwest extends across the country”, the forecaster said.
BBC Weather also said temperatures are likely to “climb above or even well above average” in early August and could indicate a return to “drier and calmer” spells across the UK, with low-pressure patterns “confirmed to far northern and far north-western Europe” later in the month.