How long will the heatwave last - and which areas will see the best of it?

Parts of England and Wales are forecast to see temperatures of up to 29C in the coming days.

Forecasters have said people in some areas will bask in sweltering heat and sunshine from Monday to Wednesday.

But, they have warned, this weather is unlikely to last beyond then.

Will there really be an actual heatwave?

By definition, a location meets the UK heatwave threshold when it records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperature levels which vary across the country.

For example, central England and Wales must see temperatures of 25C (77F) or more for three days in a row.

In London and the South East temperatures of 28C (82.4F) or more must be recorded.

While in Scotland, it would have to hit 25C three days running.

The Met Office has predicted that these requirements could be reached in the first three days of the week, with a spokesman saying: “Many areas are looking like they’ll be close to their thresholds for a number of days… it’s too soon to know for sure if it will be an official heatwave, but some areas will certainly be close.”

The best of the heat is likely in the southeast, according to the Met Office.

And Sky News weather presenter Jo Edwards said the south was likely to see 28 (82.4F) or 29C (84.2F) on Monday, while tomorrow’s sunshine could touch 30C somewhere in the zone from Birmingham to London.

“High pressure moving away from the UK has changed the wind direction, allowing us to draw up warm air from the near continent,” she said.

“However, as the blocking qualities of the high-pressure system go too, more unsettled conditions from the Atlantic can spread in from the west.

“As this process takes place, we will see some very warm weather, especially in the south; temperatures are likely to be the highest we’ve seen since the end of July.”

However, Jo added that although it was possible that a few places may reach the heatwave criteria this week, it would not be long lasting.

“For a start, light winds and clear skies overnight are likely to lead to mist and fog forming around dawn and some of this could be dense and slow to clear,” she said.

“It’s two months since the summer solstice, nights are becoming longer; days shorter, so the sun has less time to clear the early haze.”

There is some cause for celebration though, with fairly extensive sunshine on Monday and Tuesday, with eastern counties staying warm into Wednesday as fresher conditions spread in from the west.

Monday morning for much of the north saw a lot of clouds with outbreaks of rain but this is due to become increasingly patchy throughout the day.

Temperatures are set to be well above the average for September of 18C (64.4F) in most places.

Hot air from continental Europe will continue to push through the rest of the UK into Tuesday and Wednesday, which could see temperatures in Scotland and Northern Ireland reach the mid-20s.

Some warm temperatures are expected in the east of Europe, widely high 20s or low 30s, according to the Met Office.

It is forecast to be cooler in the northeast of Europe, with a northerly plunge seeing temperatures dip over western parts of Russia and northeast Europe.

Poland is predicted to see temperatures of 19C (66.2F), Bulgaria reaching up to 22C (71.6F) and Hungary seeing highs of 24C (75.2F), on Monday.

Could this be the last of the hot weather for the UK this year?

It has been warned that an area of low pressure moving in from the west on Wednesday afternoon could bring grey and wet conditions for much of the UK on Thursday.

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Later in the week, thunderstorms are predicted to conclude the hot spell, but the Met Office suggested it was too early to say if this is was the last of the warm weather for the country before autumn takes hold.

“Although there’s a thundery breakdown to the current conditions, our long-range forecasts show a signal for temperatures remaining above average for the time of year,” a spokesman told Sky News.

“Obviously, that doesn’t mean there’s a heatwave, as there are signs of the unsettled weather continuing for a spell, but the current signals suggest that beyond next week, the best of the sunny weather is most likely to be longest-lived in the east of the UK.”

The UK experienced a heatwave earlier this year, after England and Wales recorded their hottest days of 2021, with temperatures reaching highs of 31.6C (88.9F) at Heathrow and 30.2C (86.4F) in Cardiff.

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