Met Office speaks out over whether July and August will be warmer than June

James Rodger

14 June 2024 at 9:25 am·2-min read

The Met Office has spoken out over whether July and August will be "warmer" than June after a cold start to summer. The UK has found itself in the grip of gloomy conditions in recent days, with the mercury struggling to get above the low-teens.

“It feels like quite a contrast from last year when we were all experiencing a heatwave with about 30-degree temperatures in south-east England,” says Dr Matt Patterson, a climate physicist at the University of Reading. “It’s not like that this year.”

"The jet stream has set up this pressure pattern that allows the winds at the surface to come down from the north and bring us the Arctic air,” says Alex Deakin, a meteorologist at the Met Office. “What we’ve had for this week is a high pressure out to the west, where the winds are going round clockwise, and low pressure out to the east, where the winds are going around anticlockwise, and we’re in between the two, and that’s been drawing down the northerly.”

“The temperatures will be back close to average, so it’ll be warmer, just not warm,” he says. He added: “There’s no sign of any heat at the moment.” He added, while speaking to the Guardian newspaper, a high-pressure system from the Azores COULD hit next week, with the south west of England due to feel the best of it.

"There is a hint that July and August will be warmer and drier,” Patterson says. He added: "But it is just a hint. Summer is usually quite difficult to predict.” In the meantime, after a chilly start for some, Saturday promises a day of sunny spells and showers, these locally heavy, with a continued risk of thunder.

The Met Office says: "Still feeling rather cool." Its outlook for Sunday to Tuesday adds: "Sunny spells and scattered showers on Sunday and Monday, these locally heavy, but some places staying dry. Tuesday mainly dry for all. Feeling warm in the sunshine with winds easing."

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