When will the next heatwave hit the UK? Met Office forecast

The prolonged hot weather is raising fresh fears of wildfires across the country and placing further strain on emergency services and public health.

A yellow heat alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency covering the East and West Midlands, the south-east, south-west, and east of England, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber.

The alert is in place from 9am on Tuesday (July 28) until 9am on Friday (July 31).

When will the next heatwave hit the UK?

Senior meteorologist at the Met Office Dan Stroud said the upcoming heat spell would likely bring a north-south split in weather conditions, with Northern Ireland, Scotland, and northern England experiencing cloud and rain.

Meanwhile, southern parts of England are expected to once again meet heatwave criteria, with temperatures forecast to reach 32C or 33C on Wednesday (July 29) and Thursday (July 30).

He said the hottest weather would be “almost a blink and you miss it,” with temperatures expected to return closer to seasonal averages by the weekend.

Meteorologist Marco Petagna said that as the climate continues to warm, the definitions used for heatwaves will also need to change.

Mr Petagna said that heatwave thresholds for some counties were raised by one degree four or five years ago.

Mr Petagna said: “Going forward they’ll need to be adjusted to take into account… current climate, otherwise we’re going to more frequently go into heatwaves. “It’s a moveable thing, really, as we go through a warming world.”

The heat is being compounded by exceptionally dry conditions.

Southern England has recorded just one per cent of its average July rainfall to date.

England as a whole has received only five per cent, while the UK overall is at 20 per cent of typical July totals.

The sustained dryness has led to low water levels.

North Wales and the Upper Severn became the first part of the UK to be officially declared in drought status on Thursday.

The latest Met Office data, used by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales, indicates that any fires that do start are likely to become “exceptionally severe” on Wednesday in pockets of the east, south, and south-east of England.

The Fire Severity Index considers factors such as recent rainfall, temperature, and humidity to assess how intense a fire could become if it breaks out.

It does not predict the likelihood of wildfires starting, only the potential seriousness of those that do.

Risk of more wildfires as temperatures rise in UK again

At the peak of the third heatwave in mid-July, fire crews in England and Wales were tackling 19 significant blazes at once, underscoring the scale of the threat posed by the prolonged hot and dry conditions.

Recent weeks have already seen large blazes break out in Wales and Scotland.

Some fires have been severe enough to force evacuations from homes.

There have been wildfires in the UK, such as on the side of Bangor Mountain, in Gwynedd, Wales (pictured) (Image: Nigel French/PA Wire)

A spokesman for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said: “With the Met Office warning that a fourth heatwave could develop this week, bringing another period of very hot weather to parts of the UK, fire and rescue services remain on alert and are continuing to prepare for renewed wildfire risk.

“Most wildfires are preventable and we are asking everyone to play their part in helping to protect our communities, wildlife and natural spaces, while easing the pressure on firefighters who have already faced an exceptionally challenging summer.”

The risk is not confined to the UK, with wildfires causing massive disruption in mainland Europe.

Some 220,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in south-west France.

A further 116,000 have been evacuated in Spain.

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The heatwave comes during what is shaping up to be one of the UK’s hottest Julys on record.

Provisional data from the Met Office indicates temperatures are running three degrees above the July average.

This could make it one of the three or four hottest Julys ever recorded.

How hot has it been this summer where you live? Let us know in the comments.