With high pressure continuing in charge, temperatures are expected to peak at 33 or even 34°C today and tomorrow, with parts of the Midlands likely to see the highest temperatures, as they did yesterday (Thursday) when 32°C was reached at Ross-on-Wye.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “The current heatwave is more widespread than previous heatwaves this summer. Temperatures are likely to locally approach 30°C tomorrow (Saturday) over Northern Ireland and 31 or even 32°C over parts of Scotland, away from eastern coasts.

“Conversely, eastern parts of England will be a little cooler tomorrow than today, although still very warm or hot again away from eastern coastal counties where an onshore breeze will limit temperatures closer to high teens or low to mid-twenties.

“Very warm nights are likely, especially for some western parts of the UK. In addition to the usual urban locations some of the the warmest temperatures are expected to the lee of, and over, high ground in the west, with parts of western Wales, southwest and northwest England and western Scotland locally seeing overnight lows holding up into the high teens or even low twenties.

“Sunday looks like being a little cooler than Saturday, but 30°C is still likely across central and southern parts of England and eastern Wales, with locally 31°C possible. For updates on the latest information, keep an eye on the Met Office forecast as the picture develops.”

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber and yellow Heat Health Alerts covering the whole of England, valid until 14th July. Find out more about the Heat Health Alerts here.

Pollen and UV levels will remain very high for many areas.

RNLI
Ross Macleod, Water Safety Manager from the RNLI, says: ‘Even in hot weather, the seas around our coasts are cold enough year-round to trigger cold water shock, while waves and rip currents can overpower even the most experienced water users.

‘Most people who find themselves in difficulty in water will panic or thrash about but we’re urging people to ignore this instinct and remember to float: Tilt your head back, with your ears submerged. Relax and try to breathe normally. Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to. It’s fine if your legs sink – we all float differently. By doing this, you give yourself the chance to rest and recover your breathing. Once you’ve regained control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety.

‘Heading to the coast is a great way to have fun, relax and cool off in these high temperatures, but remembering this one piece of advice could save your life if you find yourself struggling in water.
‘We also encourage people to choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags, which is the area most closely monitored by the lifeguards.’

Find out more here

When will the heat end?

A change in the weather is on the cards early next week. Monday will see showers developing across many parts of the UK, some of which could be heavy and thundery. This will herald the arrival of fresher, cooler conditions from the west, whilst some eastern areas will remain very warm with temperatures in the high twenties, the rest of the UK will see the peak of daytime temperatures on Monday several degrees lower than on previous days. Cooler, more changeable weather will spread across the whole of the UK by midweek.

What are the heatwave criteria?
In the UK, a heatwave is officially defined when a location records at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold. This threshold varies by county, reflecting the diverse climate across the UK.

Find out more about defining a heatwave here.

Keep up to date with weather warnings, and you can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.