Will there be a heatwave in August?

Area of high pressure could move into UK from next week, but forecasters warn there is no guarantee of a heatwave

Last month parts of the UK sweltered in temperatures exceeding 30C, during a heatwave that sparked the Met Office's first amber warning for heat.

In the days and weeks following the warm spell, some reports suggested another heatwave is on the way in mid or late August.

But forecasters say it is still "too early" to analyse what weather conditions might develop weeks in advance.

In the aftermath of July's heatwave Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesperson, told The Independent that "more settled and dry conditions will develop" at the beginning of August.

But he warned that long-range forecasts do not offer any certainty when it comes to precise temperatures.

And in a new forecast posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday, published specifically to answer questions about a potential August heatwave, the agency said this remains the case.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said forecasters can give good details on the weather for between five and seven days.

Anything beyond that "becomes more of a trend forecast".

He said low pressure will dominate for the remainder of this week, with cooler temperatures and some rain expected.

From next week, parts of the UK could experience higher pressure, potentially bringing warmer weather, Mr Deakin said.

"There are signs that high pressure will be moving in, certainly for the early part of the week," he said.

He added: "So that means the weather should start to settle down. It does look drier, probably sunnier and as a result warmer as we go into the early part of next week.

"Beyond that it does look a little bit less straightforward. It's too early to tell".

A Met Office spokesperson told The Independent on Wednesday: “Our UK forecast page gives an outlook for the whole of August across the UK.

“There is nothing in our forecast about a heatwave in the near future.”

The Met Office’s latest climate update found that the country’s 10 hottest years have all occurred since 2002, with last year being the third warmest on record after 2014 and 2006.

As well as being among the hottest, 2020 was also the fifth wettest and eight sunniest on record, the report says.