UK could see fourth heatwave of summer before torrential downpours and thunderstorms
Britons are also being warned of thunderstorms in places throughout the week, with the potential for 'torrential downfalls' over the weekend and possible weather warnings to be issued.
Rain might be welcome for some, coming amid warnings from the Environment Agency that up to five more regions could be in a drought by September, with more hosepipe bans on the way.
Much of the UK experienced a brief reprieve from the hot weather on Tuesday as the third heatwave of the summer started to come to an end. Temperatures exceeded 30C in several parts of the country and broke multiple records over the weekend.
But just as Britons are recovering from the weekend's intense heat, the Met Office has revealed they should start bracing themselves for yet another potential heatwave.
Meteorologist Tom Morgan told The Independent that Tuesday has been a 'much cooler and showery day', with much of the country seeing showers and rainy spells.
He predicted a 'changeable' week ahead as well, but said that temperatures will 'rebound' from Tuesday to above average once again.
On the question of a fourth heatwave, he said: 'From a technical point of view, there is the potential for some places to reach heatwave status.
'But it's not going to be anything like the most recent heatwave, which saw temperatures reach the high 20s or low 30s.
'Currently, we're expecting temperatures of 29C in south east England on Thursday and Friday, then it might well be 28C or similar on Saturday.
'Most likely, it's a few individual weather stations that reach the criteria for a heatwave... but that won't be for everyone, it will be a small minority of places where there is a technical heatwave.'
The Met Office defines a heatwave as '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'. In the UK, hot weather can only be classified as a heatwave if it meets a daily maximum temperature consistently for three days in a row, with the threshold varying across different parts of the UK between 25C and 28C.
The peak of the last heatwave hit on Saturday, when Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all recorded their warmest day of the year so far – with Scotland and Northern Ireland reaching temperatures they have not hit in years. Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire hit 30.8C while Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands reached 30.4C, Cardiff's Bute Park 30.2C and Castlederg in Co Tyrone 27.1C.
A host of warnings were issued over dangers arising out of the hot temperatures. These included amber and yellow heat health alerts in place across England – warning of the potential for a rise in deaths – while fire chiefs urged people to stay safe over the increased risk of wildfires, with blazes breaking out in London, Surrey, and Perth in Scotland.
But Mr Morgan offered reassurance that there is 'nothing like that on the way'. He said that 'there will be essentially fairly typical warm summer weather this week, as opposed to the recent weather where we've seen it hot and impactful', citing the uncomfortable sleeping conditions many have been complaining of.
The summer's third heatwave saw a hosepipe ban come into force in Yorkshire, with similar restrictions issued for Kent and Sussex from 18 July following one of the UK's driest springs on record. Currently, three areas of the UK – Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire – are in drought. And millions more people could face these conditions across the Midlands and central southern regions this year, under the Environment Agency's reasonable worst cast scenario.
However, Mr Morgan said the UK is set for a wetter week this week. Many Britons should brace for thunderstorms, he warned, with weather warnings potentially being issued in the coming days.
The meteorologist explained that much of the UK should see 'dry, warmer weather' on Wednesday, before the end of the week becomes more showery.
There is currently a fairly 'isolated' thunderstorm warning in place for Northern Ireland, a region that will again see a risk of thunderstorms on Thursday, he said.
Then, central and southern England as well as Wales are all set for thunderstorms and 'really torrential downfalls' into the weekend.
He said: 'There will be further thunderstorms in the week ahead and indeed the weekend. It is a warm, humid picture into the weekend...
'Anyone with outdoor plans should keep an eye on the forecast for the week ahead.
'There is the potential for weather warnings in the lead up to the weekend.
'It's looking much wetter, and potentially very wet in places, compared to the weekend just gone.'
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Weather: Temperatures set to hit 30C in parts of UK this week
Temperatures are set to hit 30C in some parts of the UK this week. Highs of 28C can be expected on Thursday before temperatures are forecast to peak at 30C in London on Friday, Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said. Other areas in southeast England will push towards the high 20s on Friday, where the average temperature in July is around 23C. "We're starting to see south-westerly winds come in, that's bringing in hotter and more humid conditions, particularly in southern areas, we are going to see temperatures climbing again," Mr Vautrey said. "Friday is looking to be the peak of the current hot spell. This heat is not going to be as widespread as what we've just come out of, areas to the north aren't going to be seeing the same highs." 2:59 But the weather is set to turn later in the week, with a chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms across the UK on the weekend, Mr Vautrey said. Temperatures will start to slowly drop but are still expected to reach 28C or 29C on Saturday and 25C on Sunday. It comes after temperatures soared past 30C in parts of the UK last week - as the country had its third heatwave of the year. A yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for much of Northern Ireland from 11am until 8pm on Thursday, and this unsettled weather is forecast to spread across more of the UK. Heavy showers and a few thunderstorms may cause some disruption, particularly to travel, with between 30mm and 40mm of rainfall over a few hours in Northern Ireland, the Met Office said. 0:46 Meanwhile, Southern Water has become the latest company to bring in a hosepipe ban as England battles exceptionally dry weather. Restrictions like watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars would come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday, the company said. It has been the driest start to the year since 1976 for England, causing many water companies to bring in hosepipe bans. Rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average for June, the Environment Agency said. This June was the hottest on record for the country.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Mapped: Where might the UK's fourth heatwave of the summer hit?
Hot spots in the east and southeast of England may record a heatwave in the coming days – potentially spelling the fourth this summer for some, forecasters are warning. Days after the Met Office confirmed that extremes of temperature and rainfall are becoming the norm, experts say the mercury could show 28C or 29C in those regions on Thursday and Friday, and it will be humid. At the weekend, record-breaking temperatures exceeded 30C in several parts of the country, as the third heatwave of 2025 swept the UK. A high of 33C was recorded in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, and Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales recorded their warmest days of the year so far. Much of the UK enjoyed a brief reprieve from the hot weather on Tuesday, then on Wednesday temperatures started creeping up again into the high 20s Celsius. Meteorologist Tom Morgan said: 'From a technical point of view, there is the potential for some places to reach heatwave status. 'But it's not going to be anything like the most recent heatwave, which saw temperatures reach the high 20s or low 30s. 'Currently, we're expecting temperatures of 29C in southeast England on Thursday and Friday, then it might well be 28C or similar on Saturday. 'Most likely, it's a few individual weather stations that reach the criteria for a heatwave... but that won't be for everyone, it will be a small minority of places where there is a technical heatwave.' Definitions of a heatwave vary by county. Weather counts as a heatwave when a place has at least three days in a row when temperatures meet or exceed the heatwave temperature threshold for that place. In areas from Cambridgeshire to West Berkshire to Surrey, the threshold is 29C. In much of northern England, Scotland and Wales, it's 25C. As records continue to be set this year, England had its warmest ever June, and the UK overall experienced its second-warmest since the series began in 1884, according to provisional Met Office statistics. Forecasters say the rest of July and early August are likely to be changeable. But towards mid-August, there are tentative signs that high pressure may become more dominant, the Met Office says, which would bring more dry, settled weather. 'Temperatures are expected to continue to run above average overall, with a greater likelihood, compared to the preceding couple of weeks, of very warm or hot spells to develop by mid-August, especially further south and east.' After the UK's driest spring since 1893, nearly seven million people are facing hosepipe bans. The Southern Water restrictions affecting Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will begin on Monday, while Thames Water announced a ban that will begin on Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire. South East Water has also said 1.4 million customers in Kent and Sussex will also be banned from using hosepipes. The first ban, across Yorkshire, came into effect on Friday after a ' drought ' was declared in the region. The Environment Agency has warned that without substantial rain, more bans will follow. The West and East Midlands have been declared as suffering from drought, as have Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, and Merseyside and Cheshire. Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, East Anglia and the Thames areas have been designated as in 'prolonged dry weather' status. However, in the west of England on Thursday, forecasters say there will be outbreaks of rain, some of them intense, and thundery downpours are possible.
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Southern Water becomes latest company to bring in hosepipe ban amid dry weather
The company said restrictions on hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars would come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday. The move aims to protect the Test and Itchen chalk streams, which supply most of the area's water, but are at 'critically low levels', down 24% on normal flows for the time of year, Southern Water said. It is the latest announcement by water companies bringing in hosepipe bans in response to the driest start to the year since 1976 for England. Rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said. More heatwave conditions have followed in July, with the Met Office warning weather extremes such as heat have become the 'norm' for the UK as a result of climate change driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status. Yorkshire Water became the first major water company to bring in a hosepipe ban which came into effect last Friday. South East Water has announced a hosepipe ban in Kent and Sussex from Friday, and Thames Water is bringing in a ban from next Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire. Southern Water's water managing director Tim McMahon said: 'We're sorry we're taking this step, but as other water companies have already done, we have to respond to the widespread and prolonged dry weather affecting our region. 'In our case, this means a hosepipe ban for our customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to protect the health of our amazing chalk streams, which as one of the rarest habitats on earth has been compared to the Amazon Rainforest. 'We must act now to support the wildlife that live there, including Atlantic salmon and southern damselfly.' He said the company has been working '24/7' to find and fix leaks, and ensuring the network is working as efficiently as possible, but it is 'not enough', and he urged customers to help to reduce use by adhering to the ban. Meanwhile Anglian Water, which supplies drinking water to 4.3 million customers across the East of England – the driest part of the country – said recent rain has prevented the need for a hosepipe ban, but one could still be required this summer. Recent rain has helped river and reservoir levels and more is predicted for the coming weeks, but with an 'exceptionally dry' few months and uncertainty over the forecast, a hosepipe ban may yet be needed, the utility said. The warning comes after East Anglia was among the regions moved into prolonged dry weather status, at the same time drought was declared in the East and West Midlands. Anglian Water's director of water services, Ian Rule, said: 'The East of England is the driest part of the country so we're used to seeing a lack of rainfall in our region and we plan accordingly. 'Our focus on leakage, and the investment we've put in place to give us resilience in the face of climate change, has helped to delay the need for restrictions, but the last few months have been exceptionally dry, even by our standards. 'River levels had been looking very low following the historically dry spring, but they have responded better than expected to recent rainfall. 'There is also some rain in the forecast over the coming weeks which, if it materialises, could provide some welcome respite for the region's rivers and reservoirs. 'However, the forecast is far from certain, so we're closely monitoring the situation and if the exceptionally dry weather does continue, then restrictions might still be needed this summer.' He also said the dry ground means water pipes are at greater risk of shifting and breaking, and the company is facing an increase in issues being reported, with teams working round the clock to fix burst and leaking pipes. The company does not want to put restrictions in place unnecessarily, he added, but protecting the environment and the region's 'vital' agricultural sector means leaving as much water in the environment as possible.
