When is the next heatwave? Latest Met Office updates
The Met Office has warned several areas in the UK could meet "heatwave criteria" in the next few days.
The UK could experience a heatwave in the next few days as the Met Office said temperatures across the country are set to soar this weekend.
Temperatures will begin rising on Saturday with most areas of the country expected to see the mercury hit 20C, this will continue into Sunday with predictions of mid-20s forecast across the UK.
This trend is expected to continue and peak on Tuesday with temperatures nearly touching 30C in London, with forecasts predicting slightly cooler temperatures on Wednesday.
The Met Office said Monday and Tuesday could reach "heatwave criteria."
Deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office David Hayter said: “As we go through the weekend, the jet stream will weaken to the west of the UK, generating an area of high pressure that will slowly move in across the UK.
“High pressure means the air is sinking from higher in the atmosphere and that brings drier, settled and sunnier weather."
Below Yahoo News has collected Met Office maps showing the predicted temperatures over the next few days, at the predicted peak time of 4pm.
It comes after the hottest day of 2024 so far was recorded last Friday, with temperatures reaching 31.9C at St James’ Park, central London.
This was dubbed a "mini-heatwave", but fell short of a fully-fledged heatwave, which would have required above-average temperatures over a longer period of days.
What is a heatwave?
The Met Office says a heatwave is "an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity".
It said the UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of "at least three consecutive days" with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.
The threshold differs according to country or county, from 25C in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the south west of England to 27C on the south east coast of England and reaches 28C in London and other inland areas in the south and south east.
What causes a heatwave?
According to the Met Office, heatwaves are more common when high pressure is allowed to develop over a particular area, typically in summer.
Because high-pressure systems are slow moving, they can persist over an area for an extended period, days or even weeks, bringing hot conditions.
The Met Office said: "They can occur in the UK due to the location of the jet stream, which is usually to the north of the UK in the summer.
"This can allow high pressure to develop over the UK resulting in persistent dry and settled weather."
The Met Office said climate change is making heatwaves more likely, with heatwaves 30 times more likely to occur now than they were before the Industrial Revolution because of the higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Is climate change making heatwaves worse?
Many experts have said climate change has pushed up sweltering summer temperatures.
Dr Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London, said in July 2022 that the soaring temperatures facing the UK would not have been as high without global warming.
“Every heatwave we are experiencing now has been made more frequent, longer and hotter because of climate change,” she said. “Of course, every extreme weather event has also an element of just the chaotic natural variability of the weather system.
“There would have been high temperatures without climate change, but they would not have been as high as what we will see – no matter what exactly we will see, we know for sure it would have been cooler without climate change.”
Heatwaves are made more intense and frequent mainly because overall temperatures are higher due to global warming, and so, when weather systems such as summer high pressure occur, the heat they bring is amplified.
Here's what the upcoming weather will be like for each region of the UK, according to the Met Office.
London and the South East
Friday and Saturday
A bright start to the day with fair weather cloud building through the day and the chance of the odd, isolated light shower possible during the morning. Light winds. Maximum temperature 24C. Plenty of evening sunshine, particularly in the southeast. Cloud increasing overnight to give clear spells. Winds remaining light and feeling less humid than yesterday. Minimum temperature 14C.
On Saturday, sunny spells and the risk of isolated light showers during the afternoon. Any showers easing during the evening. Light winds, freshening on the south coast later. Maximum temperature 25C.
Sunday to Tuesday
Dry throughout, plenty of sunshine, although perhaps hazy at times. Light winds with temperatures expected to be very warm.
South West
Friday and Saturday
A fine day with sunny spells. Isolated, mostly light, showers popping up at times, but many should stay dry. Feeling pleasant with temperatures near the seasonal average. Maximum temperature 21C.
Calm evening with late sunny intervals. Largely dry overnight, though the odd shower may fringe into western coasts. Cooler than recent nights, particularly in rural areas. Isolated fog patches. Minimum temperature 11C.
Scattered showers developing across the region on Saturday, some of which could be heavy at times. Warm sunny spells in between. Light winds. Maximum temperature 21C.
Sunday to Tuesday
Mostly dry for Sunday and into next week with sunny spells, though areas of wispy cloud will make sunshine hazier at times. Potentially an isolated shower on Tuesday. Temperatures expected to be warm.
Midlands
Friday and Saturday
A fine day with sunny spells in the West Midlands. Isolated, mostly light, showers popping up at times, but many should stay dry. Feeling pleasant with temperatures near the seasonal average. Maximum temperature 21C.
A bright start in the East Midlands, especially in the east with fair weather cloud building through the morning. The odd isolated light shower possible during the late morning or early afternoon. Gentle winds. Maximum temperature 23C.
A calm end to Friday in the West Midlands with late sunny intervals. Staying dry overnight, perhaps with the odd mist and fog patch developing. Cooler than recent nights, particularly in rural areas. Minimum temperature 11C. In the East Midlands, showers will quickly die out during the evening . Variable cloud allowing clear spells to develop at times. Gentle winds remain. Minimum temperature 13C.
On Saturday, scattered showers will develop across the region, with the potential for heavy and thundery downpours at times. Occasional sunny spells in between. Light winds. Maximum temperature 21C. In the East Midlands, sunny spells and the risk of isolated light showers during the afternoon. Any showers easing during the evening. Light winds. Maximum temperature 23C.
Sunday to Tuesday
Mostly dry for Sunday in the West Midlands and into next week with sunny spells, though areas of wispy cloud will make sunshine hazie.
Dry throughout the East Midlands, plenty of sunshine, although perhaps hazy at times. Light winds with temperatures feeling warm.
North East
Friday and Saturday
A bright start, especially in the east with fair weather cloud building through the morning and the odd isolated light shower possible. Gentle winds, but breezy over the Pennines. Maximum temperature 21 °C. Showers quickly dying out during the evening but likely returning towards dawn. Becoming increasingly cloudy. Winds easing across the Pennines with gentle winds across the region. Minimum temperature 11C.
Sunny spells and scattered showers on Saturday, easing during the evening. Light winds. Maximum temperature 19C.
Sunday to Tuesday
Dry on Sunday with plenty of sunshine, feeling very warm. Cloudier Monday with bright spells. On Tuesday, mostly cloudy with light rain during the afternoon. Light winds throughout.
North West
Friday and Saturday
A fine day with sunny spells. Isolated, mostly light, showers popping up at times, but many should stay dry. Feeling pleasant with a moderate breeze and temperature near the seasonal average. Maximum temperature 19C.
Calm end to Friday with late sunny intervals. Staying largely dry overnight, though cloud building across Cumbria may produce an isolated shower. Cooler than recent nights, particularly in rural areas. Minimum temperature 11C.
Scattered showers developing across the region on Saturday, with the potential for heavy and thundery downpours at times. Occasional sunny spells in between. Light winds. Maximum temperature 20C.
Sunday to Tuesday
Mostly dry for Sunday and into next week with sunny spells, though areas of wispy cloud will make sunshine hazier at times. Potentially an isolated shower on Tuesday. Turning warmer.
Scotland
Friday and Saturday
Dry and bright on Friday morning in Edinburgh and the Borders with some good sunny spells in the east, but scattered showers will develop from late morning, persisting through the afternoon. Maximum temperature 19C.
Bright spells and scattered showers at first on Friday evening, dying off through the evening leaving a mainly dry night, but a chance of some showers persisting towards southern Borders. Minimum temperature 10C.
Mainly dry and bright Saturday morning with sunny spells, but a chance of some showers towards southern Borders. Scattered showers will develop from late morning, easing off in the evening. Maximum temperature 21C.
Sunday to Tuesday
A warm few days in Edinburgh and the Borders from Sunday to Tuesday staying dry with plenty of sunshine, although cloudier for a time later Monday with the odd spot of rain.
Northern Ireland
Friday and Saturday
Dry and bright towards eastern counties in the morning with sunny spells, cloudier with the odd shower possible in the north and west. Scattered afternoon showers developing from late morning, persisting through the afternoon. Maximum temperature 19C.
Scattered showers at first, but these will gradually die out through the evening. Cloudy but mainly dry through the night, with the chance some showers in the south and west. Minimum temperature 9C.
A largely cloudy but mainly dry morning on Saturday. Becoming brighter as cloud breaks up through the day, allowing the odd shower to develop in the afternoon, dying out in the evening. Maximum temperature 20C.
Sunday to Tuesday
A largely fine and dry Sunday with plenty of sunshine. Cloud and drizzle likely on Monday, mainly in the west. Largely dry again with some sunshine on Tuesday.
Wales
Friday and Saturday
A fine day with sunny spells on Friday. Isolated, mostly light, showers popping up at times, but many should stay dry. Feeling pleasant with temperatures near the seasonal average. Maximum temperature 21C.
Calm evening with late sunny intervals. Largely dry overnight, though the odd shower may fringe into western coasts. Cooler than recent nights, particularly in rural areas. Isolated fog patches. Minimum temperature 11C.
Scattered showers developing across the country on Saturday, with the potential for heavy and thundery downpours at times. Occasional sunny spells in between. Light winds. Maximum temperature 21C.
Sunday to Tuesday
Mostly dry for Sunday and into next week with sunny spells, though areas of wispy cloud will make sunshine hazier at times. Potentially an isolated shower on Tuesday. Quite warm.
