The UK's prolonged hot spell is set to continue into August, with above-average temperatures expected for much of the country, alongside a lingering risk of further heatwaves. However, forecasters predict that areas of low pressure will become more prominent over the next couple of weeks, potentially bringing welcome rain showers, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Weather models indicate that the Azores high, a large area of high pressure in the North Atlantic, will remain nearby, keeping conditions drier in some regions. However, this may also lead to more frequent and intense thunderstorms as areas of low pressure dominate the UK's weather picture.
The Met Office's long-range forecast suggests that while the influence of high pressure might lessen slightly in late July, initially leading to showers and thunderstorms in the north, above-average temperatures will persist into August. This means further hot spells are still a possibility, particularly in England and Wales.
This summer has broken numerous temperature records, with Lingwood, Norfolk, setting a new UK June temperature record of 37.7C in June. The UK has also recorded more days above 30C by mid-July than in the entirety of 1976, and for the first time on record, temperatures of 35C or above have been reached in three separate months: May, June, and July.
The dry conditions have led to widespread hosepipe bans and an increased risk of wildfires due to very dry vegetation. The persistent heat is attributed to a combination of factors, including prolonged areas of high pressure allowing heat to build, extremely dry ground which enhances air temperatures, and significantly higher-than-normal sea-surface temperatures around the UK.