Hot weather is set to return for parts of the UK this week, although the picture will be far from uniform.
While southern and eastern areas become increasingly dry, sunny and hot, northwestern parts of the UK will see a more changeable week, with rain, showers and stronger winds at times.
The broad pattern is a familiar northwest-southeast split. High pressure will be most influential across southern and eastern areas, helping to bring prolonged dry and sunny conditions, while lower pressure remains close enough to the north and west to introduce weather fronts and showers.
That means some areas will experience another spell of notably hot weather, with the potential for heatwave conditions to develop again in parts of southeast England. Meanwhile, Scotland, Northern Ireland and some western areas will see a much more unsettled feel at times, with rain and showers bringing quite different conditions.
Tuesday: hot in the southeast, wet further north
Tuesday brings mixed fortunes. For parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, the day is expected to begin wet, with some windy conditions across the far north of Scotland during the early part of the day. Conditions should brighten into the afternoon, although a few showers are still expected, and some could bring heavy downpours or thunder.
Further south and east, it will be a very different story. Central and southeastern areas of England are expected to stay dry, sunny and hot. Temperatures are forecast to climb to around 30°C, with 31°C possible across parts of London and East Anglia. Elsewhere, temperatures are likely to reach the high 20s across the Midlands and the mid-20s across parts of South Wales and the south coast of England.
Summer heat is set to return this week🌡️
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 26, 2026
Temperatures will climb across many areas before easing again towards the end of the week
Take a look here for more details 👇 pic.twitter.com/rm4eEQG64l
Wednesday likely to bring the peak of the heat
Wednesday is expected to be the hottest day of the week for many southern and eastern areas. High pressure will continue to dominate here, allowing temperatures to rise further, with highs likely to reach the mid-30s in places. Temperatures could climb to around 34°C, likely marking the peak of the heat this week.
Further northwest, conditions will remain more unsettled. Another band of rain is expected to push into parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, with the potential for thundery downpours associated with the frontal system. Further south than Scotland, across parts of northern England and Wales, there will be very little rain, although cloudier skies may make the sunshine hazier at times.
Thursday: fresher air starts to arrive
By Thursday, a weather front moving in from the north and west will begin to introduce slightly cooler air. This will bring more cloud across northern and western areas, along with further showers. Across southern areas, there is a low risk of a few showers or the odd spot of rain, but these are not expected to be especially heavy.
READ MORE: How close is the UK to another heatwave – and where has the rain gone?
The temperature contrast across the UK will be striking. In northwestern areas, temperatures may be closer to 15°C, while the south and east could still see values closer to 30°C. That difference of around 10 to 15 degrees highlights how sharply conditions will vary across the country.
A fresher feel by the weekend
High pressure is expected to continue influencing southern areas into the end of the week, with Friday likely to bring more widespread dry weather as fewer weather fronts move through. There will still be a few showers across the far north and west, particularly into parts of Scotland, but elsewhere it should be a dry, sunny and warm day.
However, it will not be as hot as earlier in the week. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-20s across southeastern areas and the lower 20s elsewhere, bringing a fresher feel by day and overnight. Looking ahead to the weekend, conditions are likely to remain relatively warm, though quite showery at times, with bands of rain coming and going. After a hot middle part of the week, the overall trend is for something a little fresher by the weekend.
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