The warmer conditions are expected to build through the weekend before becoming more widespread during the middle of next week. According to the Met Office, a heatwave is likely across large areas of England and Wales, while the UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat health alerts covering several English regions as temperatures and humidity increase.
Temperatures Could Exceed 30C across 27 Counties
Weather data from WXCharts.com indicates that the strongest heat on 13 August will be concentrated across southern, central and eastern England. Temperatures above 30C are forecast in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, the West Midlands, West Sussex, Wiltshire and Worcestershire.
Conditions are expected to be noticeably cooler elsewhere. Scotland and Northern Ireland are forecast to remain largely in the teens and low 20s, while western Wales and northern England are also expected to avoid the highest temperatures.
According to Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mike Silverstone, temperatures will rise during the weekend and more significantly through much of next week. A short-lived dip is expected on Monday before high pressure moves across the UK and settles to the east, allowing warmer air to arrive on a southerly flow.
Silverstone said the heat was expected to peak across much of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland on Wednesday, when temperatures could reach 34C in central and southern England and south-east Wales. East Anglia and south-east England could then record even higher temperatures on Thursday, potentially reaching 36C. Humidity is also expected to rise during the week. The Met Office said this could make conditions feel less comfortable, particularly overnight, as the spell of hot weather develops.
Health Alerts Issued as Hot Weather Spreads
The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat health alerts for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London. The alerts are scheduled to run from 9am on Saturday until 9pm on Tuesday.
According to the agency, the hot weather is likely to affect the wellbeing of the general population. The alerts come as forecasters expect temperatures to increase through the weekend and into the middle of next week.
The Met Office long-range forecast for 12 to 21 August describes a mixed beginning to the period. Northern areas may see rain or showers and breezier conditions, while the south is expected to remain mostly dry, sunny and hot, with very hot conditions possible in some places.
Southern areas are then likely to become cooler and fresher during the following weekend. Later in August, areas of low pressure may track farther south and east, increasing the possibility of frontal systems or thundery periods affecting southern and eastern parts of the country.
For the period from 22 August to 5 September, high pressure is considered the most probable broad pattern near the UK, although more unsettled spells remain possible. Rainfall is more likely to be below normal overall, while temperatures are expected to remain above average, with further periods of hot weather possible, particularly in the south.
