More than 600 people have been evacuated from a wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland – the latest crisis in a summer already defined by extreme heat. The blaze came as the UK braced for its fourth heatwave of the year, with forecasters warning that temperatures could climb as high as 35C (95F) in the hottest areas from Tuesday.
The weekend offered a brief respite: Sunday was cooler and cloudier, with patchy rain in southern and eastern parts of the country. For some places, it marked the end of a third heatwave – Usk in Monmouthshire and Exeter in Devon finally saw temperatures drop below the heatwave threshold for the first time in 21 consecutive days. But the reprieve is expected to be short-lived.
“UK faces fourth heatwave with temperatures up to 35C, as wildfires rage and hosepipe bans expand.”
High pressure is set to build close to southern Britain next week, stalling rain-bearing weather fronts and funnelling hot air from the continent northwards. “Some models are showing mid-30s into next week,” said Niamh Murray, an operational meteorologist at the Met Office. “However, we’re currently looking at temperatures between 30C and potentially 32C. We’re not going for 35C, but, given the timeframe, there is scope for that to be supported by other models.”
The hottest day is likely to be Wednesday, when east Wales and most of England could see temperatures of 30-35C. Central and eastern England will heat up first, before the warmth spreads north and west. Scotland and Northern Ireland will remain cooler, with highs in the high teens or low-to-mid twenties Celsius.
The prolonged dry weather has already triggered action: eight water companies in southern England and Wales have introduced hosepipe bans, and drought has been declared in some areas. How long the heat lasts depends on whether a southerly or westerly wind develops. A westerly wind would bring an end to the heatwave conditions; a southerly wind could signal a return to intense heat.