UK weather forecast reveals 'fiery' red maps as temperatures set to soar in three areas

Brits in three regions are set to bask in a 'heatwave' next week, despite the summer so far being a bit of a letdown with only fleeting periods of warmth. The weather is expected to remain wet and windy in parts of the north and west of the UK over the next few days.

Netweather's maps for Friday reveal that central England is experiencing temperatures 8C below average, with the mercury dipping into high single figures. This is due to the jet stream's position over the centre of the UK, which is causing low-pressure systems leading to rainfall and a chilly atmosphere.

However, forecasts for next week show some respite, with temperatures on the rise and peaking next Thursday, July 11. For around six hours, the southeast of England could see temperatures hitting 27C.

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Netweather's map shows the south turning red with temperatures mainly in the low to mid-20Cs, but it's not such good news for the northern areas of the UK, where it could remain as low as 11C in central Scotland.

The chart suggests London could feel like a sizzling 28C - the hottest area - with eastern England, southeast England and Western England also showing red on the map, reports the Mirror.

Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill remarked: "So far this summer it has been a little disappointing perhaps and if you are hoping for something a little warmer we do have some good news coming up, if you are hoping for something more settled that may not be the case."

"Currently we have an active jet steam running across the UK in fact it is running at 185mph which is pretty strong, especially for the time of year. That is going to be driving various weather systems as we go through the rest of the week and with that we do have some cooler air around which is why temperatures are several degrees below average for the time of year."

He also mentioned that it's likely to turn "quite a bit warmer" during next week due to a possible Scandinavian high, but clarified: "When I say temperatures are rising they are only really rising to around average for the time of year nonetheless temperatures in July are fairly high so it is going to feel warm and even hot at times in the sunshine."

The Met Office's latest forecast indicates that mid-July could see unsettled weather with showers, while there might be a brief warm spell in the South East; however, temperatures are generally expected to be below average.

The national agency has stated, "Confidence in the weather patterns at the beginning of this period is unusually low, with an erratic transition from cool, bright but showery weather over the previous weekend to something more unsettled, particularly in the south and west, likely to be underway," for the period July 9 to 18.

"Overall the period is expected to be predominantly unsettled; successive areas of cloud and rain moving in from the Atlantic and shorter settled interludes in-between. The bulk of the rainfall is likely to be across western and possibly southern parts, with far northwest and eastern areas more generally likely remaining drier. Temperatures are likely to come up to around average at first, with a chance of brief warm spells in the southeast, but overall temperatures will probably end up slightly cooler than average given the mainly unsettled outlook."

Ahead of that, we're likely to see more rain this weekend. "The weather will remain unsettled and rather cool across the weekend, although there is some sunshine on offer and when in it, temperatures will feel rather pleasant," the Met Office has said.

"Early rain over east/southeast England on Saturday should soon clear, leading into a weekend of sunshine and showers, some of which could be heavy with a risk of hail or thunder. Some more persistent rain is possible at times in northern Scotland, while southwest Britain is likely to remain the driest overall. Most areas will feel breezy, with strong winds possible in the far southeast of England at first."