Heatwave conditions will affect parts of the UK over the coming days as high pressure remains firmly in charge.
The emphasis will be on dry and settled weather for at least the coming week. Much of the country can expect plenty of sunshine over the weekend as well. It will be cloudier at times during the early to middle part of next week as weak frontal systems move in around the northern flank of the high pressure, but rainfall amounts will generally be small. Sunshine will then re-establish itself across the country towards the end of next week.
Next weekend there is potential for exceptionally high, possibly record-breaking, temperatures. For Britain this is on a knife-edge and there is a lot of uncertainty over the extent of the heat, but there is high confidence that south-western Europe will have yet another exceptional heatwave.
Most parts have started off today with at least some sunshine, but there are patches of low cloud in some areas of the country. The low cloud will tend to break up and dissipate as the morning goes on, and for most of the country it will be a dry sunny day. It will be cloudier in northern and western Scotland and in the north and west of Northern Ireland, but some sunny spells are still expected except in the far north of Scotland, where some light rain or drizzle will move in from the west at times.
Temperatures will generally reach highs of between 24 and 27C over inland parts of England and in east Wales. The coolest region will be north-west Scotland, where some places may struggle to exceed 15C. Highs of around 21C are likely over much of Northern Ireland and in south-east Scotland.
It will generally be a dry clear night except in northern Scotland and Northern Ireland and near some western coasts of Scotland and north-west England, where it will be cloudier. Temperatures will mostly fall to between 10 and 13C.
Sunday will be a dry and sunny day almost everywhere, with only some coastal areas, mainly in the south and the north-west, seeing relatively cloudy conditions at times. Temperatures will generally be higher than today's, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where highs of between 21 and 24C will be typical, and 25C may be reached in parts of southern Scotland. In inland parts of England and Wales, highs of 26 to 29C will be typical.
Monday will start off dry and sunny. Cloudier weather will spread from the north-west, but central, eastern and southern England will stay sunny for most of the day. In the sunny areas it will be hotter than on Sunday, with highs of around 30C in many central and southern parts of England, away from coasts, and 32C may be reached locally. Even in the cloudier north-west, it will remain warm with highs generally in the low 20s Celsius.
A band of cloud and rain will push south-eastwards through the country on Tuesday, but the rain will tend to fizzle out as it heads south and east. Despite more high cloud, it will be another hot day in the south and south-east, where temperatures may reach around 32C where the sun gets out for significant periods. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England it will brighten up during the afternoon.
Thursday looks set to be a dry sunny day with moderate temperatures, with highs mostly in the low to mid-20s Celsius, perhaps high 20s in the south-east. However, towards the weekend there is high confidence that much of Spain and south-western France will be seeing temperatures in excess of 40C. This heat has the potential to extend further north and east, and possibly as far north as the British Isles, as we are expecting some continental air to move in over the weekend. Temperatures into the low 30s Celsius look probable in the south, but it is on a knife-edge as to whether we see them climb into the high 30s and threaten the UK national record.