Met Office says what's next as heatwave ends
Some showers with the odd rumble of thunder could hit south-west England and south Wales on Monday and Tuesday, but most places will be dry throughout the week. Wetter, windier and more unsettled weather may move in from the Atlantic by Bank Holiday Monday.
The continued dry spell comes after officials warned England was suffering from 'nationally significant' water shortfalls, despite rain in July. Sunday's highest temperature was 27.7C in Somerset, while West Sussex and Inverness, Scotland, also reached 27C.
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Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: 'Where people get the sunshine it'll still feel fairly pleasant, it'll just be a bit chillier than it has been of late.'
He added: 'We had a couple of cooler days, yesterday (and) the day before. The odd spot here and there might be just holding on to a heatwave, but I think most places have dipped below their criteria and may have sort of come up again.
'I would say (the heatwave) finished over the weekend.'
Yellow heat health alerts activated on Wednesday will remain in place for Yorkshire and the Humber, the East and West Midlands, London and the South East, the South West and the east of England until Monday at 6pm, the UK Health Security Agency has said.
Clouds are expected to arrive later in the week and the cooler air in the north and east will travel towards southern and western areas. Maximum temperatures will fall to 23C to 24C by Wednesday and Thursday.
But the temperatures could push back up to the high-20s by the weekend, particularly during sunny spells, caused by the winds turning southerly. The national drought group, which includes the Met Office, regulators, government, water companies and other organisations, said on Tuesday that it had met as five areas of the country remained in drought, with six more in prolonged dry weather status.
England is seeing widespread environmental and agricultural impacts from the lack of water, which is hitting crop yields, reducing feed for livestock, damaging wetlands and river wildlife, and increasing wildfires, the group said. Experts warn climate change is driving more extreme weather conditions in the UK, worsening drought and dry spells, and making heatwaves more frequent and severe.
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