UK braced for first 26 heatwave of year and July will be 'hot, hot, hot'

The UK is on the cusp of a 26C heatwave and it'll last as long as 48 hours as summer FINALLY begins. Maps and charts, from WX Charts, and InMeteo, which are projected using Met Desk data, show the UK experiencing its first 26C heatwave of the year.

After a drab start to June, the sixth month of the year will see temperatures skyrocket and jump up to the mid-twenties. James Madden, from Exacta Weather, said: "Some major overnight improvements in intensity and duration, and a slight shift forward in the arrival of warm to hot weather later next week from the GFS!"

He added: "More to follow on this in future updates, but the prospects look hot, hot, hot for July, with a pattern switch now highly likely (UK and Ireland) and with the possibility of some much warmer to hot days as early as next week too."

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The best of the weather next week will be felt across swathes of England and south Wales. Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Manchester, and Newcastle have been earmarked for feeling the benefits of the rising mercury, with the thermometer nudging up to the mid-twenties.

The BBC Weather team has promised "summery interludes" and said of June 24 to July 7: "In the last week of June, there are signs that high pressure will build up near or over parts of the UK for a prolonged period. This increases the likelihood that temperatures will continue to rise, and that drier and calmer conditions will set in for a while.

"There is even a chance of very warm conditions in southern England and Wales later in the week. However, the main risk remains that areas of low pressure from Iceland will cover large parts or at least the northern half of the UK with changeable conditions. With areas of high pressure likely to remain close to the UK, there is a greater chance of warmer, calmer and drier weather in the first week of July. Given the variable weather forecast models, conditions could be more changeable, windier and cooler at times."