Yahoo News How long will the heatwave last? Forecasters explain if summer's here to stay
Britain is going to swelter in temperatures of up to 34C this week - but are we in for a long hot summer?
Europe is currently in the grip of a deadly heatwave, with parts of France expecting temperatures of up to 45C this week.
The hot weather, caused by hot air blown over from the Sahara, is due to reach the UK on Friday and Saturday.
But Brits might want to hold off from bulk-buying the factor 50 - the scorching temperatures won’t last long, according to the Met Office.
Temperatures are forecast to drop again on Sunday - meaning the hot spell is unlikely to be classed as a proper ‘heatwave’.
Meteorologist for the Met Office, Emma Smith, said: “There needs to be three days of threshold temperature for it to be classified as a heatwave.
“Some isolated heatwave temperatures could be met, but next week there is a cold front moving to the north of the country.
“The warmest temperatures will be in the east of the country.”
In parts of Europe the extreme summer heat is predicted to last into July, according to the EU’s Joint Research Centre.
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Temperature records are expected to be broken across France as it is set to reach a sweltering 45 degrees.
The 2013 heatwave across Europe resulted in the deaths of 70,000 people.
With hot temperatures on the way for the UK, are we going to break any records? #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/KfUMtVOHe0
— Met Office (@metoffice) June 26, 2019
Nearly all of France is now on orange alert, which is the second highest warning level and local authorities have issued advice on how to keep cool.
According to the World Health Organisation, the heatwave is expected to peak by June 27 with extreme temperatures all across the continent.
