Temperatures on the rise this week

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The heat will likely peak on Wednesday and Thursday

Official heatwave criteria will be met for large parts of the UK this week, with temperatures likely to exceed 30°C in some places.

Temperatures will be on the rise in the early part of this week, likely peaking on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Although very warm, there are some breezy conditions in western areas which could subdue the feeling of the temperatures for some.

While the heat will likely peak on Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures will gradually decline into the weekend.

In addition to high daytime temperatures, which could see official heatwaves be observed from as early as Tuesday in some spots, it will remain uncomfortably warm overnight, with a chance of tropical nights, which is when overnight temperatures remain in excess of 20°C.

The highest overnight minimum temperature for September on record is 21.7°C, and this record could be beaten on Wednesday and Thursday nights in particular.

The UK Health Security Agency, which provides alerts specifically for the health and social care sector, has issued a Yellow Heat Health Alert which highlights increased risks to those more vulnerable to heat.

Help to protect the vulnerable people that you know including older people, those with underlying conditions and those who live alone; they may need support to keep cool and hydrated. For more advice click here. 

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: “While the highest temperatures are expected in the south, heatwave conditions are likely across much of England and Wales especially, with parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland also likely to see some unseasonably high temperatures.

“An active tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic is helping to amplify the pattern across the North Atlantic, and has pushed the jet stream well to the north of the UK, allowing some very warm air to be drawn north. It’s a marked contrast to the much of meteorological summer, when the UK was on the northern side of the jet stream with cooler air and more unsettled weather.

“A cold front will begin to influence things from the northwest ahead of the weekend, bringing temperatures down and an increasing chance of rain for those in the west of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“There’s still a large degree of uncertainty on the exact timing of this front.”