Temperatures are set to reach 30C in some parts of the UK this week before unsettled weekend weather sweeps in with a chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, a yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for much of Northern Ireland from 11am until 8pm on Thursday.
This means heavy showers and a few thunderstorms may cause some disruption, particularly to travel, with between 30mm and 40mm of rainfall over the course of a few hours, the Met Office said.
Low pressure has now returned to the British Isles, with weather fronts expected to bring storms and showers over the weekend ⛈️
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 16, 2025
But it will still feel warm, with some mild and muggy nights on the way 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/Kr1eLY9dmK
Across other parts of the UK temperatures will climb to 28C with a chance of 29C on Thursday, before peaking at a potential 30C in London on Friday, Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said.
Then the unsettled weather is forecast to spread across more of the UK over the weekend, as temperatures start to slowly drop.
Mr Vautrey said: “We’re starting to see south westerly winds come in, that’s bringing in hotter and more humid conditions, particularly in southern areas, we are going to see temperatures climbing again.
“There is the potential for 30C around the London region by the time we reach Friday, other areas around south east England will push towards high 20s.
“Average temperatures in July for the south east is around 23C, so it will be about 5C above average.
“On Thursday it will probably creep up to around 28C in London, maybe 29C in more central England.
“Friday is looking to be the peak of the current hot spell.
“This heat is not going to be as widespread as what we’ve just come out of, areas to the north aren’t going to be seeing the same highs.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 16, 2025
Thunderstorms across western parts of Northern Ireland
Thursday 1100 - 2000
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Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/OleskxMVx7
“The heat we had last time was home grown, it wasn’t that humid, but because this heat is coming in from the south westerly direction, it is more humid. It’s going to be feeling more sticky.”
The weather is set to turn unsettled through the weekend, with a chance of some heavy showers and thunderstorms across the UK, but detail on that is currently low, Mr Vautrey said.
Weekend high temperatures are still expected to reach 28C or 29C on Saturday and 25C on Sunday.
There is a “small probability” a localised area manages to get the three-day category for a heatwave this week, but for most people it will be more of a “hot spell”, Mr Vautrey added.
It comes as Southern Water has become the latest company to bring in a hosepipe ban, to protect rare chalk stream habitat, as England battles exceptionally dry weather.
The company said restrictions on hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars would come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday.
It is the latest announcement by water companies bringing in hosepipe bans in response to the driest start to the year since 1976 for England.
Rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said.
Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status.
Yorkshire Water became the first major water company to bring in a hosepipe ban which came into effect last Friday.
South East Water has announced a hosepipe ban in Kent and Sussex from Friday, and Thames Water is bringing in a ban from next Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire.
