UK weather: Heatwave set to continue in parts of England, Met Office predicts

And an Indian summer may be on its way

The current UK heatwave is set to last into Wednesday morning, the Met Office has said.

Forecasters say there is “90 per cent probability” of current conditions continuing until 9am on Wednesday in southern and eastern parts of England.

“It’s going to be hot,” said Bonnie Diamond, forecaster with the Met Office. “In the south east in particular there will be temperatures of between 32 and 34C with a small chance of 35C most likely in London.”

The north will peak in the mid to late 20s with possible outbreaks of drizzle, she added.

The news of more sun follows yet another balmy weekend when the mercury climbed to 30C across much of the south east and the Midlands, and topped out at 30.2C in London.

It is all thanks to a blast of hot air from the Iberian peninsula – where Spain and Portugal are themselves experiencing an unprecedented heatwave – and high pressure over most of western Europe.

A record 44C was set in Lisbon on Saturday – although the region did not quite reach the all-time continental high of 48C which forecasters had cautiously predicted earlier in the week.

In the UK, hosepipe bans have been announced, hedgehogs and frogs have been left dying of hunger and thirst, and grass has been scorched yellow during what may yet still be the hottest summer ever.

Already July’s average maximum temperature, at 22.5C, was hotter than the same month in the scorching summer of 1976, which recorded an average of 21.6C.

And amid news that there are at least two more days of the soaring heat, Public Health England maintained its advice to stay hydrated, keep out the sun where possible between 11am and 2pm, and cover up when outside.

But from Wednesday evening onwards Ms Diamond said Britons could expect climes in the UK to cool.

“There will be a cool front coming eastwards across the country which will bring cooler and fresher temperatures,” she revealed. “The south and east will still be warmer than average for this time of year but even they will be cooling off. We can expect the odd rumble of thunder.”

The north and west especially could expect some showers, she added – but with temperatures then potentially climbing for the weekend across the whole country once more.

“A low level pressure system will bring spells of rain before things become brighter and warmer again by Saturday afternoon,” she said.

And there is more good news for sun lovers too: we could be in for an Indian summer, it seems.

The long range forecast suggests there will be more hot spells until the end of August, with above average temperatures lasting all the way into the middle of autumn.

“The three-month outlook says there is a probability of warmer and drier than average conditions as we move into September and October,” said Ms Diamond.

Nonetheless, temperatures will need to climb significantly if they are to come close to England’s current record of 38.5C, which was reached in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.