UK weather: August heatwave revealed as temperatures set to reach 32C in days

5 August 2024, 14:49

With reports of a 14 day heatwave, August is looking like it'll be a scorcher of a month.

After a hot and thundery start to August, many of us are wondering when the next heatwave will arrive.

While parts of the country saw highs of 30C last week, the weather this week has cooled, reminding us of the chilly start to summer we experienced in June.

Luckily this cloudy weather isn't set to last, as new maps are forecasting highs of 32C in August, which will see some areas sizzle under the scorching sun.

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When is the August heatwave? The latest weather forecast revealed.

Will there be an August heatwave?

The UK is set to experience a heatwave in mid-August, with temperatures predicted to increase from the 10th of August.

According to weather maps from WX Charts, the 17th of August is due to bring temperatures exceeding 30C, with some areas seeing blazing highs of 32C.

Areas such as Essex and Hertfordshire may see temperatures of 30C, while Suffolk and Norfolk are forecast to experience 31C heat.

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The Met Office forecast for the 9th of August to the 18th of August reads: "Remaining predominantly changeable through this period, with the UK's weather characterised by a broadly westerly type, which means weather mostly of an Atlantic origin.

"Within this, low pressure is perhaps more likely to be situated further to the north, bringing more frequent bouts of rain, showers and perhaps windier weather at times. Conversely, areas further south are more likely to see ridges of higher pressure, bringing more in the way of fine, settled weather, though still with the potential for some wetter, thundery or more generally unsettled interludes.

"There is a reasonable chance of above average temperatures in the south, perhaps with short-lived hot spells, whereas temperatures further to the north will probably be nearer normal overall."

The forecaster's predictions for the rest of the month states: "Forecast confidence, as is typical at this time of year, is low for the details during this period, however a continuation of the overall weather pattern anticipated to dominate through the first week or so of August is the more likely scenario at the start this period.

"This means a broadly changeable westerly flow with northern areas perhaps rather more unsettled overall and southern areas seeing more in the way of drier interludes. There are tentative signals that with time, weather patterns may become rather more slow-moving, but as yet it is not clear whether this translates into more generally unsettled or settled conditions.

"Again, southern and eastern areas are more likely to experience above average temperatures, with an increased chance, compared to normal, of short-lived hot spells."

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