UK weather

Headline:

Temperatures continue to climb.

Today:

Rain across northern and western Scotland, though less heavy than Monday. Brief light rain or drizzle affects Northern Ireland and northwest England. Elsewhere, dry with plenty of sunshine. Breezy in the north, with temperatures above average and hot further south.

Tonight:

Rather cloudy across northern areas with occasional rain or drizzle in northwest Scotland. Elsewhere, dry with clear spells while patchy fog develops in the southwest. Warm for many, near average.

Wednesday:

Staying cloudy with patchy rain in far northwestern Scotland. Dry elsewhere with plenty of sunshine. Very warm widely but feeling hot across southern and central England in the strong sunshine.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Plenty of sunny spells for many as temperatures stay Hot across England and Wales. Becoming hotter in the north through the week with more prolonged sunshine. Tropical nights expected widely.

Southern areas are likely to start this period hot, with heatwave conditions persisting. To the north, an Atlantic frontal zone will introduce somewhat cooler conditions, with the potential for scattered thunderstorms to develop just ahead of this. Into the following week, high pressure is likely to build to the north or northwest of the UK, though its exact orientation is rather more uncertain. This would bring a lot of dry weather for many areas, though perhaps an increased chance, relatively to previous days, of showers or thunderstorms in the south. Temperatures probably moderating a little, though remaining above average for many areas.

High pressure is more likely than low pressure for the rest of July, probably bringing settled and drier conditions. Occasionally this dry and warm weather could be interrupted by outbreaks of rain and stronger winds, which will be more probable in the north or west. As is typical for the time of year, there is a risk of heavy, thundery showers during any warm spells. These conditions are likely to persist through to the start of August, with unsettled interruptions perhaps becoming more common, but confidence at this range is low. In any case, temperatures are likely to be above average overall, with a greater than normal chance of hot conditions developing at times, especially in the south.