Heat Retreats Back South

The Summer Solstice this year coincided with the hottest day of 2025 so far as temperatures soared to 33.2°C in Charlwood, Surrey. The very warm air has now been pushed away to the east by a rejuvenated North Atlantic jet stream which is helping to bring low pressure systems our way along with cooler and fresher air.

However, that very warm air isn't going to be too far away in the coming days with many central and western regions of mainland Europe expected to continue to experience temperatures above average for some time yet and it won't take much for some of that warm air to return into parts of the British Isles. Indeed, for parts of southern and south-eastern England there is plenty of warm weather in the forecast this week with temperatures on most days reaching the mid-high twenties.

It will be progressively cooler the further north and west that you head and it's a similar story with the rainfall projections. With frontal systems moving in off the Atlantic from time to time it is going to be the north and west that see the most of any rainfall but that's not to say that there won't be some rain around further south. Indeed, the midweek period sees the potential for some of that very warm continental air to move back up from the south along with an associated storm risk but as always with this type of set-up any storms will be hit-and-miss affairs.

METEOROLOGIST : BARBER

A somewhat cooler and fresher feel will develop in the wake of this plume as winds return to a westerly direction with high pressure then building back in from the southwest as we go through the next few days. Initially, with this high centred to the south or southwest of the UK so the north and northwest will be susceptible to frontal systems moving in off the Atlantic bringing cloudier skies and some rain or drizzle at times, especially for the west and northwest of Scotland where it will also be quite windy.

For much of the country though the emphasis is on generally fine and warm conditions with temperatures towards the south and southeast often reaching the mid-high twenties by day and tending the rise as we go through the week. By the middle of the week we are expecting high pressure to move a little further north which should bring an improvement back to the north and northwest and a fine end to the week for many, however, there are signs that more changeable conditions may return in time for the Solstice but confidence is low on this at the current time.

METEOROLOGIST : BARBER