Well, folks, summer doesn’t look like it’s about to end anytime soon. Following a scorching day in the city yesterday – with temperatures climbing to 31°C yet again – London is set to be battered by another heatwave this August. And for a few days, according to BBC Weather, the city will be even hotter than Mykonos.
Just next week, temperatures will be at or above the London threshold for a heatwave from August 11-15. At its hottest, temperatures will go as high as 30°C on Wednesday, August 12, and Thursday, August 13.
In contrast, Mykonos will be sitting at a relatively balmy 29°C throughout the week. This means that on Wednesday and Thursday, London will be hotter than the iconic Greek holiday destination.
What is a heatwave?
It seems like a silly question, but it actually has a different answer depending on where you are.
At its simplest, a heatwave is when there are three days in a row of maximum temperatures at or above a specific temperature. This temperature changes based on where you are in the world. Obviously, a heatwave is based on different temperatures in countries like Spain and Greece than the (usually) rainy ol’ UK.
Here in London, it’s considered a heatwave, according to the Met Office, when maximum temperatures are at or above 28°C for three consecutive days. And that’s just what we’ve got waiting around the corner for us this August…
London’s weather forecast
This week, temperatures in London will range between the mid- to high-20s. But we’ve already got the hottest day of the week behind us, fortunately. According to the Met Office, the general forecast is for London to be “Mostly dry. Staying very warm and humid.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, there are a few passing showers potentially on the horizon.
Regarding next week, the Met Office mentions the chance of “frontal systems or thundery interludes… though rainfall amounts could be quite variable with some areas still seeing relatively little. For the most part, temperatures look to remain above average, especially in the south, and perhaps turning very warm or hot.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, the forecast mentions “rainfall amounts overall are [still] more likely to be below normal than above.” And temperatures are expected to remain high, with some potential for further heatwaves.
It’s been a hot summer, London. And it looks like it’s going to remain hot for a while yet.
