Temperatures could hit 37C within days as a heat blast grips a massive chunk of the UK – multiple other areas are set for widespread 30C-plus conditions
Temperatures of up to 37C are set to bake parts of England as multiple areas face a widespread 30C-plus heat blast, new weather maps show.
Advanced modelling by WXCharts shows a vast plume of heat building across the country, with large parts of the UK set to be impacted by the rising temperatures.
By Wednesday, July 15, from 6pm, many areas from Huddersfield southwards are expected to be at or above 30C, with widespread heat stretching across the Midlands, South East and parts of the South West.
The hottest conditions are expected across parts of Gloucestershire, West Sussex and southern England more widely, where maps suggest peaks could hit a blistering 37C.
Surrey is also forecast to reach around 36C, while London is expected to see highs near 34C. Much of central and southern England is likely to sit in the 33C to 35C range.
But not every region will be caught up in extreme heat. Much of the North East, North West and Scotland seeing much cooler highs averaging in the mid-20s.
Huddersfield itself, along with parts of the Peak District, coastal areas of Lincoln and Norfolk, and parts of Cornwall, are expected to miss the highest temperatures, with many areas peaking in the late 20s.
The latest forecast comes as the Met Office issued a new “extreme” heatwave warning, with UK waters potentially reaching “severe” levels in the coming days.
According to the forecaster, surface waters in north-west European seas are experiencing moderate to severe marine heatwave conditions. Numerous areas currently classified as “strong” and some “severe,” it added.
This means that waters have reached temperatures usually expected in August and are on average 2C warmer than usual, locally reaching +4-5C anomalies offshore parts of the Welsh and English coasts.
Experts say these record-breaking temperatures are likely to have wide-ranging consequences for global weather systems, triggering shifts in fish populations and causing significant harm to multiple marine species.
Commenting next week’s upcoming heat surge, the Met Office outlined two reasons conditions will feel different from the heatwave in June.
The forecaster said: “Firstly, temperatures are not expected to reach the same extreme levels, and secondly, the heat will not be felt across the whole country.”
“A north-south split this weekend will bring warm sunshine to southern and eastern areas, while Scotland and Northern Ireland see cloudier, breezier conditions with rain at times, heaviest in northwest Scotland.
“An area of high pressure extending from the Azores will become increasingly influential through the weekend. While this will bring settled weather to many southern parts of the UK, a westerly airflow around the northern edge of the high will continue to push weather fronts across Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland.
“As a result, northern and north-western areas will continue to see periods of cloud, wind and rain, while much of southern England experiences largely dry conditions with some lengthy sunny spells.”
Areas set for 30C+ heat
- Derbyshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Leicestershire
- Rutland
- Staffordshire
- Warwickshire
- Worcestershire
- Shropshire
- Northamptonshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Bedfordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Kent
- Essex
- Buckinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Berkshire
- Gloucestershire
- Wiltshire
- Somerset