UK weather

Headline:

Hot and sunny away from the far northwest.

Today:

Widely fine and dry with light winds. Feeling very warm, with the strong July sunshine spreading to more northern areas as the day progresses. Cloud becoming confined to the far northwest, where still thick enough for a little drizzle.

Tonight:

Cloud and patchy drizzle persisting for northwest Scotland. Otherwise, staying dry with prolonged clear periods. Some mist and fog patches developing, mainly in the west. A warm night.

Thursday:

Early mist and fog soon clearing, England, Wales and eastern Scotland experiencing another hot day with hazy sunshine and light winds. Cloudier for Northern Ireland and northwest Scotland.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Remaining warm and sunny across much of England and Wales, though turning breezier. Sunny spells emerging in the far northwest as cloud moves southwards into other areas of Scotland.

Southern areas are likely to start this period very warm, locally hot in the southwest, with heatwave conditions persisting. Somewhat cooler to the north and cloudy with periods of rain and drizzle in the far north. Into the following week, high pressure is likely to build to the north or northwest of the UK, though its exact orientation is rather more uncertain. This would bring a lot of dry weather for many areas, though perhaps an increased chance, relatively to previous days, of showers or thunderstorms in the south. Temperatures probably moderating a little, though remaining above average for many areas.

High pressure is more likely than low pressure for much of July, probably bringing settled and drier conditions. Occasionally this dry and warm weather could be interrupted by outbreaks of rain and stronger winds, which will be more probable in the north or west. As is typical for the time of year, there is a risk of heavy, thundery showers during any warm spells. The signal for predominantly settled weather becomes increasingly unclear towards the end of July. This means unsettled interruptions may become more common, but confidence at this range is low. In any case, temperatures are likely to be above average overall, with a greater than normal chance of hot conditions developing at times, especially in the south.