Met Office forecasts major shift in UK weather with cold front arriving after 31C heatwave

Ryan Fahey

28 June 2024 at 6:20 am·2-min read

People sitting under a Union flag umbrella on Bournemouth beach in Dorset — -Credit: (Image: PA)

The Met Office has announced that the recent hot spell is drawing to a close, with cooler and breezier conditions on the horizon. Across the UK, the weather is set to become more unsettled in the coming days.

Temperatures are expected to align more closely with seasonal norms, and rain showers are forecasted to sweep into northern England and Scotland, according to the weather experts. In the north, the damp conditions may persist into the weekend, accompanied by strong gusts of wind.

Meanwhile, the south will retain some sunny intervals, but the previously high temperatures will begin to wane, with gentler winds anticipated, reports the Mirror.

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Grahame Madge, from the Met Office, said: "After the spell of warmth earlier this week, the UK forecast is pivoting rapidly to cooler and more unsettled conditions. This change is being driven by an unseasonably deep area of low pressure to the west of Scotland, this is bringing strong winds and rain to northern parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England."

He added: "A cold front from this system is dragging cooler air eastwards across the rest of the UK. This is bringing temperatures down to much nearer average values. The UK outlook for the next few days is for periods of unsettled conditions to be interspersed with brighter spells."

This shift to unsettled weather comes after a stretch of notably high temperatures. Wednesday was declared the hottest day of the year so far by the Met Office, with Heathrow Airport recording a peak of 30.3C.

The UK's hottest day of the year so far was recorded on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 30C in Chertsey, Surrey. On Thursday, London's ability to cope with future heatwaves was put to the test as key agencies in the capital came together to plan how to support residents and keep disruption to a minimum.

'Operation Helios' explored an extreme heat scenario of five days of intense heat that scientists warn could affect Londoners by 2027. Meanwhile, the NHS said the number of people seeking heat advice on its website "skyrocketed" after a yellow heat health alert covering most of the country came into force on Monday.

However, the Met Office said the weather across the country is expected to turn cloudier on Monday, with rain moving in from the west.

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