Met Office daily weather: July kicks off with peak of current hot spell

Tuesday marks the start of July and the peak of the current warm spell.

Tuesday will begin largely dry and bright across northwestern areas, with settled conditions prevailing.

A band of cloud and scattered showers will stretch from the southwest approaches through Wales to southeastern Scotland and northeastern England. This band is expected to fragment through the day, giving way to isolated, sharp, and slow-moving showers, particularly in convergence zones across northern England and eastern to central Scotland.

Southeastern areas, lying south and east of a line from Exeter to Norwich, will remain hot, very hot in places, and humid. There is a small chance of isolated afternoon thunderstorms developing, particularly where daytime heating is strongest.

Temperatures are forecast to peak around 34°C in Greater London and adjacent areas including Kent, eastern Surrey, and East Sussex.

North of the frontal boundary, conditions will be closer to average, though the transition zone may feel notably humid despite lower temperatures compared to Monday.

Tuesday night will begin mostly clear across central, southern, and southeastern England, though cloud will increase from the northeast later. Northern England and southern to central Scotland may see showery outbreaks, with a low probability of rain or thunderstorms developing in southeastern England overnight. The northwest will remain largely dry with variable cloud cover.

 Another warm night is expected in the southeast, though this warmth will become increasingly confined to far southeastern areas as the night progresses.

Outlook for Wednesday

Wednesday will start fine across Scotland and Northern Ireland, with sunny spells. Showers will develop through the day, some locally heavy with a risk of thunder and hail, especially in southeastern Scotland and northeastern England once low cloud clears. Extensive low cloud and coastal mist will affect much of eastern Britain, gradually retreating to coastal areas. Rain and drizzle will persist in the east and southeast, potentially turning heavy with a low risk of thunder in the far southeast.

The southwest is likely to enjoy a mostly fine day with hazy sunshine. Winds will remain light, occasionally moderate to fresh along coasts. Temperatures will range from rather cool in the northwest to rather warm, locally warm, in the southeast.

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Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Alex Burkill, said: “Cloud across parts of southern Scotland, Northern England into Wales and some rain ping up as we go through the day as well. Could be some thunder mixed in with this towards the northwest. Across much of Northern Ireland, Northern and Western Scotland, a good deal of fine sunny weather here.

“Meanwhile, towards the southeast, lots of sunshine on offer, barely a cloud in the sky across parts of the southeast. And because there will be almost unbroken sunshine through much of the day, temperatures in the southeast could be a little bit higher through Tuesday than they were through Monday.

“Across many places, things turning a little bit fresher, so temperatures dropping a little bit down. But yes, towards the southeast they're looking similar or perhaps even a little bit higher. So, 34°C, possibly 35°C. Then as we go through later on in the week, we do see some fresher air coming in from the west as a system brings some wetter weather to the southeast on Wednesday."

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