How long will July heatwave last? Met Office forecast revealed
The third heatwave of the year has taken grip of the UK this week with temperatures soaring into the early 30s for much of the south.
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In what has been predicted to be the longest heatwave since 1976, we've so far seen highs of 33C in the day followed by warm tropical nights, keeping parts of the UK very warm.
Called a 'prolonged spell of hot and dry' weather, the Met Office has now officially revealed its verdict on when the July heatwave will come to an end after days of intense sunshine.
Forecasting highs of 34-35C for later this week still, they have predicted the extreme hot weather will begin to drop by Monday 13th July. However, while these won't be heatwave temperatures, the conditions will still be very warm for this time of year.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates said: "Temperatures this week are not expected to reach the highs we witnessed last month, though parts of southern England in particular are likely to see several days in the low 30s Celsius, and a few places could reach 34-35°C later this week.
"Much of England and Wales will be hot, and the heat will extend to parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland too, though here peak temperatures are more likely to be in the upper 20s Celsius. With high UV and high temperatures, people should take the usual precautions with the heat and the sun."
As of next week, the south will be seeing temperatures of around 25-27C as the dry spells across the country continues.
Looking ahead to the rest of July, the Met Office has also said the chances of more heatwaves remains high.
They said: "In any case, temperatures are likely to be above average overall, with a greater than normal chance of hot conditions developing at times, especially in the south."
So far the UK has experienced a heatwave in May, June and July 2026 with last month bringing record-breaking temperatures.
The country endured its first ever three-day red weather warning with the hottest night on record also being noted.
The Met Office saw the warmest June day record be beaten twice during that heatwave with highs of 37.7C in Lingwood, Strumpshaw Hill.