When will the heatwave end? Latest Met Office weather forecast after UK’s hottest day of the year

BRITONS experienced the hottest day of the year so far on Thursday, with the UK currently in its fifth heatwave of the summer. Temperatures reached 38.1C in Kew Gardens, London – but when will the current heatwave come to an end? The UK experienced the hottest day of the year on Thursday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial We are currently in the fifth official heatwave of the summer Credit: Alamy When will the heatwave end? Thursday marked the second time that the UK has hit 38C in 2026, with the previous high of exactly 38C recorded in June in Lingwood, Norfolk. The Met Office said: “The only other time this has happened twice in one year was in 2022. It also makes it the 5th hottest day on record.” Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The forecaster advised that Thursday would mark the peak of the heatwave, but conditions have remained warm in the South and Southeast on Friday – with London forecast to reach highs of 34C. However, the Met Office has said that Friday will also mark the start of a “thundery end to the heatwave”, with thunderstorms pushing eastwards across the country, and eastern England set to see the heaviest rain. Going into the weekend, temperatures are predicted to drop gradually, with a weak cold front expected to bring a slightly cooler, cloudier climate in from the west. This means that Saturday could mark the end of the official heatwave for much of the UK, with temperatures dropping below the thresholds established by the Met Office. London, for example, is forecast to see highs of 27C, while Manchester will peak at around 22C. While the heatwave might officially come to an end for many, temperatures will remain in the mid-to-high-20s for much of the south of England and Midlands, before fresher conditions arrive on Sunday. Most read in The Sun In terms of next week, an increased amount of rain, along with some breezier conditions have been forecast. Despite the high temperatures in London and the South, conditions have varied significantly depending on where you are in the UK, with both Scotland and Northern Ireland recently seeing cooler, wetter weather. Temperatures have reached 38C twice this summer Credit: BNPS From next week, rainfall and cooler conditions are expected Credit: Alamy What is a heatwave? Per the Met Office, the definition of a heatwave is an extended period of unusually hot weather. To qualify as a heatwave in the UK, a location must hit a specific temperature threshold for three days in a row. This requirement differs depending on where you are in the UK, with the threshold being 28C in London and southern England, but 25C in the North and Scotland. Heatwaves traditionally take place in the summer when high-pressure systems settle over the country. This happens when the jet stream moves north, bringing long spells of dry and settled weather. Comment now