What's in store for the next week: An active jet stream fuels more changeable weather

Following a lull in activity typical of spring and early June, temperature contrasts across the Northern Hemisphere are now fuelling a more active jet stream, which will play a central role in shaping the weather over the coming days.

The week begins with noticeably cooler air in place, following the departure of the weekend’s heat, which peaked at 33°C in Surrey. That heatwave culminated in widespread thunderstorms, with frequent lightning and hail affecting parts of northern England and southern Scotland.

A wet start to the week for the Northern Isles with coastal gales possible 🌧️

Blustery showers drifting into other northwestern regions

Generally dry in the east and south with spells of sunshine 🌤️ pic.twitter.com/ERjN6DDvoa

— Met Office (@metoffice) June 22, 2025

As we move into Tuesday, a warm front will bring more humid conditions to western parts of the UK by dawn. Expect extensive cloud cover and persistent rain across Scotland, Northern England, Wales, the southwest, and Northern Ireland. Rain will be heaviest over western hills, while the south and east will see drier conditions and gradual brightening through the afternoon. Temperatures will feel cooler in the north but warmer and more humid in the south.

This north-south divide will become a defining feature of the week. A cold front will act as a boundary between the cooler, more changeable conditions in the north and the warmer, more humid air in the south. This front will shift north and south as the jet stream meanders across the UK.

READ MORE: What does the weather have in store for this year's Glastonbury Festival?

Wednesday will begin with sunshine in the southeast and parts of Scotland and northern England, though showers are possible. Cloud and rain will affect Wales and the Midlands, easing later in the day. Temperatures will range from the high teens in the north to 27–28°C in the southeast, where humidity will be high. This could trigger thunderstorms drifting from northern France into southeast England, though their exact path remains uncertain.

By Thursday, a brisk westerly airflow will bring showery rain and cooler conditions, though brighter spells will develop later. Winds may impact outdoor events such as Glastonbury. Friday sees further rain in the northwest, while the south and east may enjoy drier, brighter, and more humid conditions.

Looking ahead to the weekend, a ridge of high pressure may build from the south, bringing warmer, more settled weather to southern areas, while the north remains cooler and unsettled. A short-lived hot spell is possible in the southeast before the jet stream likely returns to bring further changeable conditions next week.

A new week is on the horizon 🌅

Here's an overview of what to expect from the weather pic.twitter.com/kesAtx7oud

— Met Office (@metoffice) June 22, 2025

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Aidan McGivern, said: “There’s cooler air now in place as we start the week, and we keep that cooler air for Monday night. But as we begin Tuesday, a sign of something a little more humid returning with this warm front moving into western parts of the country by dawn, bringing extensive cloud cover and outbreaks of persistent rain across parts of Scotland, Northern England, Wales, the southwest, and Northern Ireland.

“Nevertheless, cooler air now in place as we start the week, and we keep that cooler air for Monday night. But as we begin Tuesday, a sign of something a little more humid returning with this warm front moving into western parts of the country by dawn, bringing extensive cloud cover and outbreaks of persistent rain across parts of Scotland, Northern England, Wales, the southwest, and Northern Ireland.

“On Wednesday, we start the day with some sunshine in the far southeast and across parts of Scotland and northern England, but a few showers here and there. More extensive cloud through Wales, the Midlands, some outbreaks of rain during the morning easing into the afternoon. And look at the temperature contrast again, high teens, low 20s in the north, but 27, 28°C towards the southeast and feeling very humid once again. 

READ MORE: Scorching Junes: How often do we see temperatures over 30°C in June?

“Elsewhere across the UK, we’ve got some weather fronts moving through overnight, bringing some showery rain and more of a brisk westerly airflow by the start of Thursday. But those outbreaks of rain and the early showers move through, it brightens up nicely by late morning and into the afternoon, some sunny spells. And it’s going to feel a little cooler once again. Certainly, we’ll notice an uptick in the winds and could affect some of the setup for Glastonbury. But otherwise, it’s going to be a cooler day with temperatures back to the low to mid-20s.

“And throughout the day on Friday, I suspect that there will be some brightness to be had across eastern and southern parts of the UK. But it looks likely that we’re going to see, it’s going to be quite cool, I suspect, where we get those outbreaks of rain across western Scotland and northwest England. High teens, low 20s towards the south and southeast, feeling quite humid once again with temperatures around 24, 25°C.”

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