Parts of Britain are to swelter once again in a blast of hot weather that will arrive in time for the late August bank holiday. It's likely to be the final very warm weather of a summer that has seen record-breaking temperatures as global warming fears grow.
Drought conditions and hosepipe bans have been announced for many parts of the country. The scorched earth has also seen wildfires while there have been a number of deaths after people got into difficulties in open water.
The forecast hot weather is linked to a build up of high pressure. It is due to arrive after the UK saw a high of 40.3C in July in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, the hottest ever temperature recorded, the Mirror reports, and there was a second heatwave earlier this month.
Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey told The Sun: "There's certainly high indications at the moment that we're going to see high pressure build which could bring some more settled dry, sunny weather for parts of the country.
"It will depend where that high pressure settles as to where we'll see the best of that weather - but certainly, the indications are that we're going to see another warm spell for the end of the month and into early September."
But, she added: "Because of the time of year, the length of the days and the position of the sun in the sky, temperatures are not going to be as hot as we saw in July or earlier this month."
Ms Maxey described the upcoming bank holiday as potentially a "nice, settled warm spell for the end of the summer".
Meanwhile, British Weather Services senior meteorologist Jim Dale said temperatures could reach the high twenties or possibly 30C in "extreme" circumstances. Mr Dale told the Northern Echo: “As it looks from the models now, around the bank holiday temperatures could be in the high 20s and the extreme would be 30C degrees.
“The southern areas might see 25C, 26C, 27C degrees and the odd 28C 29C, with the extreme getting to 30C degrees.”
Met Office long range forecast from Thursday, August 25 to Saturday, September 3
After an unsettled week, settled conditions are expected to spread over the UK during this period, bringing fine and dry weather to most places. Stronger winds and some showers are likely in the north and northwest, and further thundery showers are also possible across the south and southeast in the early part of the period.
A northwest/southeast temperature split may also develop, where cooler air will characterise the north, with the south becoming very warm and perhaps feeling humid. By the end of this period fine and dry weather is likely to prevail for many, albeit with the odd shower again in the south and northwest.
Light winds are likely with plenty of sunshine, and temperatures generally warm or locally very warm in the south.
