Met Office says third heatwave set for UK will be significantly different to last two

Met Office says third heatwave set for UK will be significantly different to last two Forecasters say the respite from last week's record-breaking heatwave may be brief, with high pressure from the Azores poised to push temperatures back into the 30s The Met Office has warned a return to heatwave conditions is "increasingly likely" with temperature set to soar into the 30s within days. After last week's record-breaking hot spell saw temperatures peak at a sweltering 37.7C, conditions have quickly settled and returned to seasonal norms. But forecasters say this respite may be brief, with high pressure from the Azores poised to push temperatures up again as early as this weekend. The hottest June day in UK history (37.7C) was measured at Lingwood in Norfolk, east of Norwich, on Friday June 26 - beating the 37.3C recorded at Santon Downham in Suffolk on the same day. It came amid rare amber and red heat health alerts, which the Met Office said indicated a risk to life for even the healthy population. Hospitals declared critical incidents as blistering conditions caused machines and IT to fail, while hundreds of schools across England closed early. Scientists said the extreme heat would not have been possible half a century ago, with human-induced climate change resulting in more severe and regular periods of extreme temperatures. The Met Office has now suggested conditions will begin to warm again next week, potentially reaching heatwave thresholds in certain regions. It added that temperatures in the 30s are possible, but unlikely to reach record-breaking levels and feature the elevated levels of humidity seen last week. While Brits have been reassured that the upcoming temperatures are likely to feel considerably more bearable, a new heat health alert has been issued across a large chunk of the country, bringing a "greater risk to life for vulnerable people". The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the yellow alert, in place from 12pm on Saturday July 4 until 5pm on Wednesday July 8, could have an impact across health and social care services for those in the East Midlands, South East, South West, east of England and London. There is also an increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm, with the possibility of water‑related incidents increasing, including risks from cold‑water shock and drowning. Speaking about the rise in temperatures, Tony Wisson, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, explained: "Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north." He continued: "The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s°C across parts of England, perhaps 30°C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s°C in Wales. "Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low." Current Met Office temperature maps show 27C forecast across southern England on Sunday afternoon, with temperatures rising to 29C on Monday and Tuesday.