The strong grip of the long, hot summer is set to last for at least seven to 10 more days, forecasters have said.
UK temperatures have topped 30C during the past 11 days and 2026 has become the first year on record to reach 35C in May, June and July, according to the Met Office.
Met Office spokesman Graham Madge said: “The settled and and fine conditions people are currently enjoying looks locked in for the next seven to 10 days and is likely to remain strongly.”
The thermometer hit 30.5C in Hurn, Dorset, on Wednesday and there is plenty of sunshine and dry weather ahead this weekend, although there may be a few isolated showers and a dip in temperatures.
It is too soon to say whether the heatwave conditions will last beyond the next 10 days and towards the end of July.
David Hayter, the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, said: “Every day for the last 11 days somewhere in the UK has seen temperatures reach or exceed 30C.
“The high pressure – which has brought this prolonged fine spell – will continue for the next week or so at least, but will shift enough to enable a more northerly flow that will introduce a cooler feel that will end the run of 30C days.
England has been particularly warm this summer, with mean temperatures currently 2.4C above average (Yui Mok/PA)PA Wire“However, we are still likely to see some locations remain in heatwave conditions to finish the week.”
He said: “July and August are the main months in the UK for heatwaves.
“Having had three significant heatwaves in the UK already this year and very little rainfall for many, dry soils could provide less resistance to daytime heating, again challenging heatwave criteria into the second half of the summer.”
Whether the current heatwave continues will depend on whether there are three days of temperatures above 28C in London or 25C for the rest of the country.
It comes as Britons have so far coped with a sweltering summer of above-average temperatures and persistently warm nights.
England has been particularly warm, with mean temperatures currently 2.4C above the average 21C that could be expected.
The Met Office said Wales is sitting 2.2C above an average of around 19.3C, and while Scotland and Northern Ireland have remained closer to their seasonal norms of 17.3C and 18.6C, they are still running above average at 0.9C and 1.3C respectively.
Read More
There has been persistently warm conditions across much of the UK, particularly in England and Wales, throughout the summer so far.
Met Office science manager Amy Doherty said: “We’re only halfway through summer, yet 2026 has already delivered more days above 30C than the whole of 1976 and become the first year on record to reach 35C in May, June and July.
“What stands out most, however, is that the warmth has not been confined to the daytime, with overnight temperatures tracking at record levels for this stage of the season.
“The high humidity so far this summer has also been unusual, making conditions particularly uncomfortable.
“Taken together, these statistics make 2026 one of the most remarkable starts to a UK summer in our records.”