UK Weather Forecast: When We'll Know It's 'Record-Breaking Hot' Rather Than 'Bloody Hot'

Winter is coming. But not for ages.
The sun rises at Cullercoats Bay on the north east coast.
The sun rises at Cullercoats Bay on the north east coast.
PA Wire/PA Images

Unless you’re nocturnal, out of the country or dead you may have noticed it’s a touch on the warm side in ol’ Blighty at the moment.

So much so that we’re beyond “pass the factor 50” temperatures and straying into “check in with Gran daily” territory.

Children, the elderly and people with lung or heart problems have been advised to reduce strenuous exercise and physical exertion during the heatwave which could see the mercury hit 35C on Thursday and rise further to 37C on Friday.

And according to the Met Office, the hot weather set to continue into August. So will these be record-setting temperatures?

Here are some of the key numbers that could be matched or surpassed before the weekend:

Highest Temperature Recorded So Far This Year - 33.3C

Set on July 23 at Santon Downham in Suffolk.

UPDATE: The highest temperature of the year so far, 34.9C, was recorded at Heathrow between 2.15pm and 2.30pm Thursday, a Met Office spokesman said.

Highest Recorded Last Year - 34.5C

Set on June 21 at Heathrow airport.

Highest Recorded In 1976 - 35.6C

Set on June 28 in Southampton.

Highest July Temperature On Record - 36.7C

Set on July 1 2015 at Heathrow airport

Highest Temperature Ever Recorded In The UK - 38.5C

Set on August 10 2003 at Faversham in Kent.

So there you have it - we could all be Donald Ducked by the weekend.

Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “If you’re looking for somewhere to escape the heat, western and northern areas will have pleasantly warm mid 20s celsius, although across Northern Ireland and western Scotland this may be accompanied by occasionally cloudy skies.”

Some respite could come from thunderstorms, but this could lead to flooding of homes and businesses, difficult driving conditions and potential power cuts, the Met Office warned.

Underscoring the problems the heatwave is causing, London Fire Brigade is calling for a temporary ban on barbecues in public parks after a record-breaking spate of grass fires in the tinder dry capital.

London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton, who has written to all London councils suggesting the move, said: “I have attended a number of these large grass fires and it never ceases to shock me how many abandoned smouldering barbecues fire crews spot. In these arid conditions, barbecuing on dry grass is not just thoughtless, it’s reckless.”

Close

What's Hot