End to heatwave in sight as Britain returns to unsettled normality
'What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance,' wrote Jane Austen in a letter to her sister Cassandra in 1796.
Much the same sentiment could be said about the current heatwave as much of the country wilts in scorching sunshine, temperatures reaching over 30C in places. The heat will likely peak on Saturday, daytime temperatures possibly reaching 33C or more in eastern and central areas, followed by an uncomfortably hot night in many places.
That heat comes from hot air drawn up from Spain and even as far as north Africa. There is also high pressure sat over the UK driving up temperatures and with the summer solstice on Saturday, the heat will grow even more intense under the long hours of powerful sunshine.
But if this heatwave feels unbearable, there is relief on the horizon. The high pressure that has dominated much of the UK's weather for several days is slowly being pushed away into Europe and cooler air will edge in from the Atlantic, beginning with western areas this weekend. That Atlantic influence will bring fresher air gradually pushing across the country and by next week the very high temperatures will ease off. There will also be the chance of outbreaks of rain towards the north and west, the northwest being especially wet. Gardeners in the south and east praying for rain may be disappointed, as it will generally remain drier and at times warm.
Next week the weather will be a bit of a rollercoaster ride, temperatures chopping and changing along with some rain and even heavy downpours in places. That pattern could set a trend through the rest of this month and into the first half of July. But further heatwaves cannot be ruled out, as bursts of hotter air are likely to encroach from Europe, which remains scorching hot in many places. That sums up the story of many British summers, as we sit at the crossroads of mild and wet Atlantic breezes and stifling heat over much of western Europe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
27 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Revellers pour into Glastonbury Festival as gates open for 2025
The gates to Glastonbury Festival have opened for the 2025 celebration of performing arts and music. Organiser Emily Eavis and her father, co-founder Sir Michael Eavis, could be seen counting down and cheering as the festival officially opened while a brass band played. Advertisement Campers arriving at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, can expect a mixed bag of sunshine and rain throughout the week, with 'warm and rather humid' weather for the rest of Wednesday, according to forecasters. This year's event will see headline performances from British rock/pop band The 1975, veteran singer Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo . Eavis, 45, told BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Nick Grimshaw that opening the gates is 'one of my favourite moments of the whole weekend'. She added: 'So much goes into all those areas… all that planning, all that speculation, all the opinions, all the debate, all the outrage, all the love, all the feelings that just are generated every day, all the press, all the noise. Advertisement 'To be able to actually look everyone in the eye on those gates and bring everyone in, and just think, actually, it's all really just about this. It's all about these people having the best time over the next five days.' Revellers make their way into the site on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA) More than 200,000 people are expected to descend on the fields of Pilton, with ticket-holders advised to prepare for mainly warm weather. (PA Graphics) Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale told the PA news agency: 'Sunny spells are expected for the rest of Wednesday over Worthy Farm and it's likely to stay dry. Things will feel warm and rather humid, with a maximum temperature of 22C.' Performing in the coveted Sunday tea-time legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as some other guests. Advertisement His performance is to come after the Maggie May singer postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu. Speaking to BBC News about the performance, he said: 'I just wish they wouldn't call it the tea-time slot. 'That sounds like pipe and slippers, doesn't it?' Sir Rod Stewart is performing the legends slot at Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA) He previously said he had persuaded organisers to give him an hour-and-a-half slot after initially being offered 75 minutes. Advertisement 'Usually I do well over two hours, so there's still a load of songs we won't be able to do,' he told the BBC. 'But we've been working at it. I'm not gonna make any announcements between songs. I'll do one number, shout 'next', and go straight into the next one. 'I'm going to get in as many songs as I can.' One of the more controversial acts performing is Irish rap trio Kneecap, who have been in the headlines recently after one of their members was charged with a terror offence. Advertisement Glastonbury revellers are arriving in their hundreds at Castle Cary train station (Ben Birchall/PA) Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year. Last week, the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20th. UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the group's performance at the festival, taking place on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday, is not 'appropriate' and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance. Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, through a crowd of supporters after he appeared charged with a terrorism offence (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Earlier in the month, in an appearance on the Sidetracked podcast, Eavis outlined the changes that have been made to this year's festival and said music area Shangri-La is 'going full trees and green space' which is 'completely the opposite to anything they've done in the past'. She also said the festival, which has capacity for 210,000 people, has sold 'a few thousand less tickets' this year in a bid to avoid overcrowding. Among the acts expected to draw large crowds this year is alternative pop star Charli XCX, who will perform songs from her genre-defining sixth studio album Brat. She is performing on Saturday night on the Other Stage, 15 minutes before the West Holts stage is graced by US rapper Doechii, another artist who has exploded in popularity in the last year. Emily Eavis opens the gates on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset (Yui Mok/PA) Other performers include Irish singer CMAT, Prada singer Raye, US musician Brandi Carlile, Nile Rodgers and Chic, hip-hop star Loyle Carner, US pop star Gracie Abrams, indie outfit Wet Leg, Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective, US rapper Denzel Curry, and rising star Lola Young. The line-up also features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, who will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday. This year, the BBC will provide live-streams of the five main stages – Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park. On Wednesday at 10pm the festival will open with a theatre and circus act set in the Pyramid Arena, which will showcase acrobatic and circus performances, culminating in a fireworks display.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Heatwaves in June made 10 times more likely due to climate change
It's only days since the first UK heatwave of 2025 but, hot on its heels, a second is already very likely in some places this still only in the first month of summer, and generally our hottest weather usually occurs during July and the statistics show that June heatwaves are becoming increasingly common and some love the warmth, heatwaves can have huge consequences for us as a society, from adverse health impacts, to transport disruption and increasing the threat of wildfires. Is summer's 'coolest' month heating up? June in the UK is typically the coolest of the three summer months, with average maximum temperatures of around 18C - that's around 2C below what we expect for July. Things are changing though and a recent Met Office blog post points to "a clear upward trend" in the number of June days above 30C, external. The increase varies for different parts of the UK, but according to the post "England consistently leads in the number of 30°C+ recordings, particularly in the south-east". Climate scientists at World Weather Attribution (WWA) quantify how climate change influences the intensity and likelihood of extreme weather events. They have found that the chance of seeing three consecutive June days above 28C in south-east England (the heatwave threshold for parts of the region) is now one in every five years. During pre-industrial times south-east England only experienced these temperatures once every 50 years, meaning human induced climate change has made June heatwaves here 10 times more likely. Recent years that have had significant June heatwaves include 2017 and 2020, and 2023 holds the title for the hottest June on record. Whilst heatwaves in June are becoming more frequent, they are still not as intense as those in later in the summer, such as the record-breaking extreme heat of July 2022, when the UK recorded temperatures above 40C for the first time. What about the historic heatwave of June 1976? When intense heatwaves occur in the UK many people make comparisons with the extraordinary summer of 1976. In June that year a very long-lasting heatwave developed and it still holds the record for the hottest June day ever recorded - a scorching 35.6C in Southampton. However, when analysing historic weather data it is clear that 1976 was a significant outlier in an otherwise cooler decade. During the entire decade of the 1970s for example, Heathrow recorded just 14 June days above 28C. Compare that with the current period, and since 2020 there have already been 26 days above 28C - and we're only halfway through this decade. As our climate continues to warm what was once a rare meteorological event is now becoming a more regular feature of our early summers. How do heatwaves affect me? A dose of warm, sunny weather can really lift our mood but we can also reach a point of feeling too hot and uncomfortable and heatwaves can have serious health consequences. How well our bodies deal with heat depends on several weather factors such as humidity, wind and cloud cover. It also varies hugely between individuals, with the elderly, the very young, those who are pregnant or people with underlying health conditions, particularly Office for National Statistics estimates that during 2022 there were more than 4500 excess deaths due to heat-related illnesses in not just our health that is at risk, but also our natural environments, infrastructure and transport networks. Network Rail estimates that in 2024 delays caused by rails that buckled due to extreme heat totalled 240 2021 the Met Office has introduced warnings for extreme heat, external which can be issued to alert the general public when temperatures are forecast to rise high enough and for long enough to cause significant disruption to our lives. Lower level 'Heat Heat Alerts, external' are also issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) that are aimed at emergency responders and professionals with the health and social care sectors. How will temperatures change this week? The rest of this week will have a quite a fluctuating temperature pattern. After a cooler start, the heat will build again temporarily on Wednesday especially in the south and east. However, it's from Saturday onwards that we could see several parts of central and eastern England returning to heatwave conditions for three or more consecutive up to date with the temperatures where you are on the BBC Weather website and app.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Revellers pour into Glastonbury Festival as gates open for 2025
The gates to Glastonbury Festival have opened for the 2025 celebration of performing arts and music. Organiser Emily Eavis and her father, co-founder Sir Michael Eavis, could be seen counting down and cheering as the festival officially opened while a brass band played. Campers arriving at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, can expect a mixed bag of sunshine and rain throughout the week, with 'warm and rather humid' weather for the rest of Wednesday, according to forecasters. This year's event will see headline performances from British rock/pop band The 1975, veteran singer Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo. Eavis, 45, told BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Nick Grimshaw that opening the gates is 'one of my favourite moments of the whole weekend'. She added: 'So much goes into all those areas… all that planning, all that speculation, all the opinions, all the debate, all the outrage, all the love, all the feelings that just are generated every day, all the press, all the noise. 'To be able to actually look everyone in the eye on those gates and bring everyone in, and just think, actually, it's all really just about this. It's all about these people having the best time over the next five days.' More than 200,000 people are expected to descend on the fields of Pilton, with ticket-holders advised to prepare for mainly warm weather. Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale told the PA news agency: 'Sunny spells are expected for the rest of Wednesday over Worthy Farm and it's likely to stay dry. Things will feel warm and rather humid, with a maximum temperature of 22C.' Performing in the coveted Sunday tea-time legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as some other guests. His performance is to come after the Maggie May singer postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu. Speaking to BBC News about the performance, he said: 'I just wish they wouldn't call it the tea-time slot. 'That sounds like pipe and slippers, doesn't it?' He previously said he had persuaded organisers to give him an hour-and-a-half slot after initially being offered 75 minutes. 'Usually I do well over two hours, so there's still a load of songs we won't be able to do,' he told the BBC. 'But we've been working at it. I'm not gonna make any announcements between songs. I'll do one number, shout 'next', and go straight into the next one. 'I'm going to get in as many songs as I can.' One of the more controversial acts performing is Irish rap trio Kneecap, who have been in the headlines recently after one of their members was charged with a terror offence. Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year. Last week, the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the group's performance at the festival, taking place on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday, is not 'appropriate' and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance. Earlier in the month, in an appearance on the Sidetracked podcast, Eavis outlined the changes that have been made to this year's festival and said music area Shangri-La is 'going full trees and green space' which is 'completely the opposite to anything they've done in the past'. She also said the festival, which has capacity for 210,000 people, has sold 'a few thousand less tickets' this year in a bid to avoid overcrowding. Among the acts expected to draw large crowds this year is alternative pop star Charli XCX, who will perform songs from her genre-defining sixth studio album Brat. She is performing on Saturday night on the Other Stage, 15 minutes before the West Holts stage is graced by US rapper Doechii, another artist who has exploded in popularity in the last year. Other performers include Irish singer CMAT, Prada singer Raye, US musician Brandi Carlile, Nile Rodgers and Chic, hip-hop star Loyle Carner, US pop star Gracie Abrams, indie outfit Wet Leg, Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective, US rapper Denzel Curry, and rising star Lola Young. The line-up also features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, who will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday. This year, the BBC will provide live-streams of the five main stages – Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park. On Wednesday at 10pm the festival will open with a theatre and circus act set in the Pyramid Arena, which will showcase acrobatic and circus performances, culminating in a fireworks display.
