Weather forecasting models suggest temperatures could hit 41C in parts of the UK next week, while the Met Office says another heatwave is on the cards
The Met Office has said the UK could soon face yet another heatwave – and weather models now suggest Britain may even see its hottest day ever.
Met Office forecaster Neil Armstrong has said this week should remain “pleasant” for most, with temperatures expected to remain largely in the low to mid-20s. It follows a record-breaking heatwave last week which brought the warmest June day ever – 37.7C.
The GFS weather model suggests more records could be broken next week. The current all-time temperature record in the UK is 40.3C – which came during the scorching July 2022 heatwave – but data shows we could just be days away from seeing 41C.
GFS model maps for next Monday show highs of 35C to 36C are possible across much of southern, eastern and central England at around 6pm. Highs of 33C are on the cards as far north of Yorkshire, with 31C coming in South Wales.
Temperatures could then surge to never-before-seen levels next Tuesday. The maps show highs of 40C and 41C from Yorkshire down to London and across the east of the country. Conditions should then cool off on the Wednesday, with temperatures peaking at 35C in the south-east, according to the GFS weather model.
Temperature anomaly maps for next Tuesday show the UK shaded in red and black. This shows that temperatures are expected to surge well past the seasonal average.
The GFS model suggests as many as 17 counties could see temperatures of 40C or more. They are all in England.
UK counties facing 40C or more next week
- Yorkshire
- Lincolnshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Leicestershire
- Warwickshire
- Northamptonshire
- Norfolk
- Suffolk
- Cambridgeshire
- Bedfordshire
- Oxfordshire
- Berkshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Hertfordshire
- Essex
- Surrey
- Kent
Met Office weather forecast – potential heatwave early next week
The Met Office has said a return to heatwave conditions is looking “increasingly likely” as we head towards next week. However, the national weather agency says that, at the moment, the chance of “extreme high temperatures” like we saw last week remains low.
Met Office forecast Tony Wisson said: “The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s across parts of England, perhaps 30C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s in Wales.
“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”