The UK maximum temperature record is expected to be broken again on Tuesday, but at many weather stations across central and eastern England. The widespread nature of this heat is staggering. Another notable feature of the current heatwave is the very high temperatures forecast for Monday night. Many places are expected to record a ‘tropical night’ where the temperature will not drop below 20C. England, Scotland and Wales are also expected to set new individual national records on the day, and possibly by a large margin. Wales has the potential for the previous high of 35.2C in Hawarden, Flintshire, to be completely smashed, with the possibility of north-east Wales reaching around 37C-38C. Similarly, the 32.9C recorded at Greycrook in the Scottish Borders in 2003 should be comfortably beaten, with around 35C expected on Monday. Finally, maximum temperatures on Monday are likely to range from 40 to 41C in central and eastern England – beating the 2019 record in England and the UK by around 2C. A cold front will move in from the west over the next 24 hours, with a chance of thunderstorms. This will bring in much cooler air across the board by Wednesday and bring an end to the heat wave for the UK. However, southern Europe will continue to experience above-average temperatures in what is shaping up to be an extremely hot summer for many parts of the continent. Meanwhile, much of northern and central Russia as well as Alaska are experiencing temperatures close to 10C below normal. High pressure north of Russia helps pull cold air in from the northeast, while that relatively cold air wraps around a low pressure area across Alaska, keeping it relatively cold and also wet in the southern and western regions in particular.
