UK faces heatwave ‘surpassing 30C or larger’ this month as a consequence of ‘African plume’

A heatwave could be on the cards for the UK this month, with temperatures possibly rising to 30C or higher.

Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden said in an update on Facebook today (June 4) Brits can expect a “warm to hot” weather to develop “from this weekend and much of next week” as high pressure is returning.

Although this week will likely bring “a temporary cooler and more unsettled few days”, Madden said third-party computer models indicate a change at the weekend. “The more favourable and likely scenario is now for a very warm period to develop during this period, and this is now likely to bring top temperatures in the mid-20Cs (lower range) and the high-20Cs (higher range) quite widely,” Madden said.

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However, the forecaster also reckons there’s potential for “something even hotter to develop in and around mid-June”. He said this “could see temperatures surpassing the 30C mark or potentially higher”, with warmth blasting the UK from either an “African plume” or the “Azores High” – a semi-permanent centre of high pressure typically found in the Atlantic Ocean.

BBC Weather’s long range forecast also suggests conditions could warm up next week, possibly due to high pressure coming from the Azores High.

The BBC forecast for Monday (June 10) to Sunday (June 16) states: “There is also the possibility of areas of low pressure moving generally north or north-west of the UK later this week, allowing the high pressure of the Azores High to spread across the southern part of the UK, at least temporarily. This would lead to warmer, calmer and slightly drier conditions particularly in the southern areas.”

However, it adds: “A renewed build-up of a stronger block of high pressure over Scandinavia could lead to a drier and warmer easterly or south-easterly flow, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the UK, and wetter conditions further west and south.”

The Met Office’s long range forecast for Saturday (June 8) to Monday (June 17) says “blustery showers” will continue in the north this weekend, with “showers possible across southern areas” too. While showers remain possible after that, the Met Office says: “There should continue to be a good deal of dry weather here.” The national weather agency also reckons there is a “small chance of a more widely settled spell developing for a time next week”.

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