The heatwave that has gripped Britain is set to calm this weekend, before temperatures are set to soar to 30C once again next week.
With high pressure centred to the west of the UK, a northerly wind will develop this weekend, causing temperatures to fall, with parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, set to be significantly cooler, the Met Office said.
Maximum temperatures in northern Scotland will be up to 7C lower on Saturday than on Thursday, bringing an end to the heatwave in the region.
North-west England will also see temperatures fall by around 5C from Thursday’s maximum, dropping to the low 20s by Saturday.
The Midlands, Wales and southern England will also feel some relief, though parts of these regions will continue above the heatwave threshold, where maximum temperatures here will widely range from 25–27C, though cooler nights will return.
However, the Met Office said it will continue to be warmer than average across much of the UK, including southern England, where the heatwave threshold has now been met or exceeded for 12 consecutive days.
The news comes after the Met Office’s state of the climate report revealed that the hottest day of the year in the south of England is now typically 4.5C warmer than it was in 1961-1990.
With high pressure staying near the UK into next week, there is still no sign of significant rain on the horizon.
Places across south-east England — including Wisley, Surrey and Herstmonceux, East Sussex — have now seen close to 30 days without rain.
Several other locations in the east of England and the West Midlands have gone more than 20 days without.
These dry conditions have resulted in hosepipe bans for more than eight million households in England.
However, the cooler weather is not set to stay, with temperatures expected to bounce back quickly after the weekend, with further dry spells.
Temperatures Scotland and Northern Ireland are predicted to hover around 23C, while southern England could see increases back to 30C.
For parts of England and Wales, this means the heatwave will continue into its third week.
This marks the latest in the UK’s struggle to deal with the impacts of human-induced climate change, as the Met Office cautions that “climate extremes are becoming the new normal.”
