UK weather: Temperatures to soar again to 36C highs as Met Office confirms another ‘widespread heatwave’

TEMPERATURES are set to hit highs of 36C next week as another record breaking heatwave arrives for swathes of the country. The mercury will begin rising over the weekend before peaking on Thursday next week in East Anglia and the southeast. Hot air balloons take to the sky on the opening day of Bristol International Balloon Fiesta Credit: Getty Large cracks have appeared in the cliff at Seaford Head in SussexCredit: Refer to source Temperatures could reach 27C on Friday and as high as 30C on Saturday, before climbing into the low 30s in southern and south-east England on Sunday. Forecasters said the weekend will see a north-south split in the weather with Scotland and Northern Ireland likely to see spells of heavy rain, while England and Wales will remain largely dry, sunny and increasingly warm. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Heat health alerts will be in place as experts warn that the hot weather is likely to affect the wellbeing of the population. This summer has seen two record-breaking heatwaves, in May and June, and two more heatwaves in July which have fuelled drought and wildfires. A sunbather on her paddle board attaches anchors to a marker buoy in Dover Harbour. Credit: Gary Stone Fire crews attend a fire on the cliffs at Basset’s Cove Credit: Droneman/pictureexclusive.com The highest temperature of the year was 38C recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on June 28. There have been 33 days so far this year when temperatures have exceeded 30C somewhere in the UK. The record is 34 days in 1995, so that record is likely to be broken next week. Deputy chief forecaster Mike Silverstone said: “Temperatures will climb through the weekend and, more significantly, through much of next week. Most read in The Sun “After a brief dip on Monday, high pressure will move across the UK before settling to the east, allowing a southerly flow to develop. “A fairly widespread heatwave is likely across large parts of England and Wales, with hot conditions developing in places. “The heat is expected to peak for much of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland on Wednesday, with up to 34C possible in parts of central and southern England and south-east Wales. “East Anglia and south-east England, however, could see temperatures even higher on Thursday. People on the beach in Brighton, East Sussex Credit: PA Tourists use umbrellas to shelter from the sun as people punt on the River Cam Credit: EPA “Humidity levels are also expected to increase through the week, which may make conditions feel more uncomfortable, particularly overnight.” The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London. They will come into force at 9am on Saturday and end at 9pm on Tuesday. Last month was the driest July for England and Wales since records began in 1836, according to provisional figures released by the Met Office. Nineteen counties across England recorded effectively no rainfall – 1mm or less – across the whole of the month, Met Office figures show. The UK, England and Wales have all recorded their sunniest July on record – and for England and Wales it was the sunniest calendar month ever observed, the Met Office said. Comment now