UK weather: Britain to bake in 'EXTREME heat' later this month as summer FINALLY here
Britain is set to bask in glorious sunshine as temperatures could hit 26C to end a wet and windy spell causing misery across the UK
WXCHARTS/NetWeather
Britain is set to bask in glorious sunshine as temperatures could hit 27C to end a wet and windy spell causing misery across the UK.
In news that will be welcomed by Britons across the country, a European heat blast is expected to strike the UK on Sunday, July 21, according to the latest weather maps.
The hottest conditions - highs of 26C - will be seen in south east England, while temperatures will reach 24C as far north as Humberside.
Areas across north and west England as well as parts of Scotland could feel temperatures between 18C and 20C.
Britain is set to bask in glorious sunshine as temperatures could hit 26C to end a wet and windy spell causing misery across the UKWXCHARTS/NetWeatherForecaster at Exacta Weather, James Madden, said "a big change" in the weather is due mid-July.
He said: "Get the barbecues at the ready, as a big change and some big heat are now set to arrive on cue!
"The expected and well-promised pattern change for July 10–20, particularly July 15–17, is now on and imminent for some very hot to potentially extreme heat, which is now on the horizon for many parts of the country within the next several days."
While Britain has so far seen wet and windy weather in July, other countries across southern Europe have been issued with hot weather warnings.
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Three Spanish regions are on yellow alert for heat, according to MeteoAlarm.
There have also been reports of evacuations in Greece following a series of wildfires.
Met Office forecasters suggest conditions in July will be "changeable" with an unsettled weather phase.
Their long-range forecast from Monday July, 15 to Wednesday July, 24 reads: "Following a fairly changeable weekend with showers and the potential for longer spells of rain in the north, next week is expected to continue in a similar vein as another weather system arrives from the Atlantic, into parts of southern or southwest UK.
The hottest conditions - highs of 27C - will be seen in south east England, while temperatures will reach 24C as far north as Humberside
NetWeather
"This will most likely herald further spells of unsettled weather moving east or northeast across the country, with rain (most frequent in the northwest) or showers and some sunny spells (most frequent in the southeast) in-between at times.
"There are limited, if any, signs for more prolonged settled and warm weather, but winds are likely to stay fairly light overall with temperatures, particularly across the south, coming up to around the average for the of year."
Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Hayter at the Met Office said the position of the jet stream is often the driving force behind the weather.
A number of "small shifts in the position of the jet stream can lead to big differences in the weather".