The Met Office has issued an update on the UK heatwave, revealing that some parts of the country will face heavy rain instead of soaring temperatures. While much of the UK is set to bask in a heatwave from Friday June 19 to Tuesday June 23, with highs potentially reaching 34C, two regions are at risk of significant rainfall.
Regions Facing Heavy Rain
Western Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to experience up to two inches (50mm) of rain. Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill explained: "Friday will bring some heavier rain, particularly to western Scotland, and we are expecting 30mm to 50mm in some spots, which is significant."
Affected counties in Scotland include Argyll, Ayrshire, Buteshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. In Northern Ireland, Antrim, Down, and Derry could be soaked.
Thunderstorms and Heat
Burkill added: "We could see some thunderstorms over the southeast because of hot, humid air over us, with heavy, persistent rain and gusty winds to the northwest." Despite the rain in the northwest, temperatures will remain high across the south and east.
"Next week, higher-than-average pressure is most likely across the whole of the UK and much of Europe, and with that, it is looking largely dry. It looks like it will be significantly warmer than average, particularly across the south of the UK," Burkill said.
Heat Dome Effect
Mr Burkill noted that a heat dome across western Europe is becoming more widespread. "We are going to drag in hotter air on Friday, but fresher air could edge further southeast on Saturday, so it could be less hot than Friday. Paris could get its hottest ever June day. Sunday will be even hotter towards the south, and the heat will travel further towards the west."
Whether the UK experiences a formal heatwave depends on Saturday's temperatures. "We may not get the three-day period in many places, but we just about will in the southeast," Burkill added.
Expert Predictions
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services and co-author of 'Surviving Extreme Weather', said: "Temperatures are likely to skyrocket next week, and in parts of the country we could be looking at 30C-plus, perhaps 35C. This is high pressure over the UK, homegrown, and hot air coming in from the Continent, which is going into its own heatwave. This is going to be something to watch."
