MET OFFICE FORECASTS ABOVE-AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST

The Met Office has forecast above-average temperatures for August, with the possibility of further hot spells in the opening weeks of the month. The forecaster's long-range outlook suggests high pressure will return following a more unsettled spell in late July. A Met Office spokesman stated that temperatures are expected to be "near or above normal, warmest in the south, perhaps becoming very warm again by the start of August". The forecast comes as the UK has experienced 13 consecutive days exceeding 30C this week, with 31C recorded at Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire on Friday.

The prolonged hot and dry spell has seen 28 days in 2026 when temperatures exceeded 30C somewhere in the UK. According to the Met Office's State of the UK Climate report, six days have reached 35C or above this summer, surpassing the previous record of five days set in 1976. Nine days have reached 34C or above, exceeding the previous record of eight days in 1976. David Hayter, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said the high pressure system will shift to introduce a cooler northerly flow that will end the run of 30C days. BBC weather presenter Ben Rich stated that temperatures are "most likely to remain above the seasonal norm, especially in England and Wales where further hot spells or heatwaves are possible into early August".

The Met Office indicated that confidence in its forecast becomes lower approaching the turn of July into August. An August 2 to August 12 outlook from the forecaster noted that higher pressure is "generally more likely than lower pressure" through the month. The public has been urged to reduce the risk of wildfires by playing their part during the continued hot conditions. The UK has already experienced three heatwaves this summer, according to official figures.