UK Weather: Met Office forecasts more hot spells as UK records hottest day of the year so far of 31.9C

According to the Met Office, while Saturday may still be warm for many parts of the UK, especially in the southeast, it will be short-lived as heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to return for a short period.

The national forecasters said Saturday’s highest temperature will be 28C or 29C, with the warmest spells likely to be seen in the east and south-east of England. On Sunday (July 21), the weather will have a cooler, fresher feel to it, but it will still be warm and mostly dry.

The Met Office said: “We could see some very heavy bursts of rain as the day (Saturday) progresses, with the potential for thunderstorms in eastern England on Saturday afternoon into evening. Some heavy rainfall in narrow corridors across the north-western half of the UK is also likely on Saturday night into early Sunday.”

As we head into the end of July, the Met Office said a more longer-lived and widespread spell of dry and sunny weather may develop for a time, particularly across southern parts of the UK. However, showers and occasional spells of more persistent rain are also likely to affect all regions at times.

It said: “Some drier and brighter interludes are also expected, these most likely in southern and eastern regions. The most frequent spells of wet weather are most likely to be across northern and western areas. Temperatures mostly close to average for a time, with any warmer spells generally short-lived.”

But according to its long-range forecast between August 2 and August 16, the forecasters are predicting that there will be more hot spells despite it being “short-lived”. It said: “Through this period, there remains a slightly increased chance of more settled spells of weather developing at times, particularly in the south.

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“However, there is still a substantial chance of other weather types too, with more changeable periods also likely. Through the period as a whole, drier than average conditions are more likely to be wetter than average. Warmer than average conditions are also weakly favoured overall, with a slightly enhanced likelihood of short-lived hot spells.”