UK set for first 'official' heatwave within days and one part of England will be hottest

James Rodger

18 June 2024 at 1:26 am·2-min read

UK weather maps have burned a fiery red with a heatwave set to sweep England at the start of July. The first official heatwave of the year could kick off on July 1 with temperatures in the high-twenties - and the south east of England roasting warmest.

WX Charts weather maps and charts, projected using Met Desk data, show the start of BBC Wimbledon and the continuation of the Euro 2024 tournament seeing temperatures skyrocket. The seventh month of the year looks set to be far warmer than a drab June.

The current Met Office outlook for June 22 to July 1 reads: "A change to cloudier weather with outbreaks of rain, these most prevalent in the west of the UK, is expected to be well underway by the start of the forecast period.

"However, this may not last too long, as it continues to look increasingly likely that a drier, warmer, and settled spell will begin to develop later this coming weekend, and into the following week. There is a small chance that this could persist for much of the rest of the period, turning increasingly hot.

"However by mid-next week a large range of outcomes which also include a small chance of colder, more unsettled weather also become possible. Generally settled, and warmer than average conditions appear most likely." Its forecast has also been issued for July 2 to July 16.

It said: "There is little sign for any one type of weather pattern to dominate during this period. As such, typical conditions for the UK are most probable with a mixture of weather types. All areas can expected to see some spells of drier, sunnier weather, but there will also be showers or longer spells of rain at times.

"Currently the only signals, weak as they are, hint that rain and showers will tend to be more biased towards the north and west, with any more prolonged drier interludes favouring the south. Temperatures are slightly more likely than normal to be above average, than below."

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