The Met Office has confirmed three UK areas are set to escape the fresh heatwave baking England and Wales in the coming days. In what has felt like an unrelenting series of heatwaves cooking the UK, the forecasters have confirmed that heatwave conditions are expected to return with a “further notable heatwave developing this week”. It follows from a July which was already thought to be the second-warmest ever recorded.
But despite the heat “gradually building” for England and Wales through this week, peaking with 36C on Thursday, three areas of the UK are expected to avoid the heatwave conditions and could even get rain. And further into the month, longer spells of more widespread rain could finally break up the heatwave, the forecaster tentatively predicts.
The Met Office said in its latest heatwave update on Monday: “The main exception to the dominant warm and sunny conditions this week will be north and northwest of Scotland, and at times parts of Northern Ireland, which will continue to see the influence of showery rain from the west at times.”
Met Office Chief Forecaster Jason Kelly said: “Heat will gradually build this week, with temperatures reaching into the mid-30s Celsius in what will be a fairly widespread heatwave for England and Wales.
“The driver for this week’s heat is high pressure, this becoming dominant over the next day or so, bringing plenty of sunshine and allowing temperatures to build day-by-day. Southerly or southeasterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe, meaning we’re looking at further notable heat for many this week, likely peaking on Thursday.”
Later on in August, cooler air may finally bring “longer spells of rain” across other parts of the UK.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster David Oliver said: “While Thursday will be the peak of the heat this week, some warmth will remain in the south and southeast on Friday, before easing more widely on Saturday as cooler air spreads south from the northwest.”
The forecaster added: “High pressure is likely to retain some influence over the weather in the south of the UK later in the weekend but may begin to weaken into the start of next week. Details are uncertain, but this may allow showers or some longer spells of rain to spread across parts of the UK for a time.”