Tag Archives: weather

More 2026 UK Heatwaves Are Likely Following 35°C Spring

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On 1 June, the official start of summer, the Met Office released its three-month outlook for the UK.

The meteorological service explained on its site that this outlook is not an exact prediction or a guarantee of what will happen in the season. Instead, they say, it’s about broader trends; you can’t say for sure whether something like a heatwave will happen based on this information.

Nonetheless, they added, the most “notable” part of their most recent outlook is the expected hotter-than-usual UK summer temperatures.

“It follows that there is an increased chance of heatwave conditions developing at times,” they said.

We have already had an unusually hot start to the year, with temperatures reaching a record-breaking 35.1°C in Kew Gardens this May.

The Met Office has previously said that hotter summers are becoming more likely in the UK in general.

When will the next heatwaves be?

This outlook doesn’t aim to calculate exact dates, nor does it say there definitely will be heatwaves.

But it did mention that higher pressure, linked to hotter weather, is expected in the middle of June after a rainy start to the month.

“Towards the end of June, low pressure may begin to have more of an influence, especially across the south, where heavy showers and thunderstorms become more probable. It may also become hot in parts of the south,” the Met Office shared.

Why has this year been so hot?

Even for the UK, 2026′s weather has been especially volatile. We went from record-breaking heatwaves to floods in a matter of days.

The Met Office’s Dr Emily Carlisle previously said this is part of a broader warming trend.

“This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK’s weather and the longer-term warming we are observing. While conditions varied through the season, all three months of meteorological spring recorded mean temperatures within the UK’s top ten warmest on record,” she stated.

“While we expect fluctuations from year to year, this spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions becoming more frequent. The fact that nine of the ten warmest springs in England have occurred since 2007 illustrates this ongoing shift in the UK’s climate.”

The Met Office added that factors like the predicted 2026 El Niño can inform their three-month outlooks.

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Four Steps A Horticulturist Takes To Hosepipe-Ban-Proof Gardens

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This month, the UK provisionally broke May temperature records two days in a row. That led some lawns to curl and yellow in distress, though you’re best off waiting for the rain instead of hosing your grass down, even when it looks worse for wear.

And even though no hosepipe bans have been announced in the UK, a peek at Google Trends shows that searches are significantly up from last week. It looks like gardeners are prepping, or at least checking, for sanctions.

But are those fears reasonable, and how can we get our gardens ready now for possible bans later on?

Will we have a hosepipe ban in 2026?

We can’t say for sure yet.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)′ Chief Horticulturist, Guy Barter, said: “Although we had a wet winter which filled reservoirs and aquifers and there is no indication of temporary use restrictions (as hosepipe bans are officially called), supply and demand problems in the intense recent heat have been reported in the press”.

The BBC, for instance, reports we may be on track to see the same drought conditions we saw last year, which led to a ban; that’s not to mention 2026′s predicted super El Niño.

Professor Emeritus of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at University College London, Prof Bill McGuire, previously told HuffPost UK that this extreme weather event could have “a huge impact on global weather, bringing drought, floods and other extreme weather right across the planet”.

Though what that might mean for the UK specifically is harder to tell in the short term.

How can I start to prepare now for possible hosepipe bans?

Barter told us that “Episodes like this [recent heatwave] remind gardeners why it is wise to have water butts for tiding the garden over dry periods. With luck, they will be refilled by summer rainstorms.”

Water butts divert rainfall from places like your gutter into a large barrel, which often has a tap on the bottom, so it’s smart to place it on a stand.

It’s not just that they’re a smarter use of water, either. Plants much prefer rainwater to the stuff from your taps, because it has a pH and mineral content they love.

What if I don’t have room for a water butt?

In that case, try mulching to keep whatever rain has fallen on your soil. Additionally, putting saucers under plants allows rain to collect in helpful puddles underneath pots.

During water shortages, the RHS added, “grey water” from e.g. your shower or washing-up bowl will do the job for a while.

“Waste water from the kitchen, bathroom basins, baths and showers can also be used in summer gardening. Plants seldom resent this and it ekes out mains water supplies,” Barter said.

Smart planting matters, too.

“Gardeners who have planted drought-tolerant borders and gardens have been rewarded by lovely flowers and plants with no need to water. Where watering has been needed, consider planting more drought-tolerant plants in autumn for next year,” the expert said.

“It is a bit late for planting now, but any containers or baskets that need restocking can be planted with angelonia, pelargoniums and salvia, all of which can get by with less water than most plants.”

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Sorry, But Science Says Sleeping Naked In A Heatwave Is A Terrible Idea

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The UK just saw its hottest May day on record, and we’ve had some unusually hot “tropical nights” (over 20C) too.

That can ruin your sleep. One paper found that heatwaves are especially ruinous, causing us to lose crucial minutes of shut-eye.

But if you’ve been sleeping in the nip for a cooler night, Natalie Pennicotte-Collier, a resident sleep expert at MattressNextDay, says you might want to reconsider.

Why shouldn’t you sleep naked in a heatwave?

It has to do with how sweat, which needs to evaporate to cool us off, behaves.

You might think that water wicks away faster when we’re naked. But the sleep expert said that’s not always true,

The move “feels logical, but without breathable natural fibre bedding to wick sweat away, moisture simply sits on the skin and creates a clammy humid ‘microclimate’ that is more likely to wake you up in the middle of the night.” Pennicotte-Collier explained.

The same logic applies to your bedsheets – we “should replace [our duvet] with a lightweight breathable layer instead of sleeping completely uncovered,” she said.

Research has her (pyjamaed) back. One paper from the University of Birmingham found that linen bedding was linked to fewer wake-ups among younger participants in hot weather.

How can I get to sleep in a heatwave?

Sleeping on a lower level in your home might help, the Red Cross said, as heat rises.

And paradoxical as it might sound, taking a warm shower might help, too.

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Seeta Shah from PANDA London said: “Many take a cold shower before bed in hot weather, but a shockingly cold shower can actually raise core body temperature as your body works to counteract the sudden cold.

“A lukewarm to slightly cool shower is better. It gently reduces body temperature and triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, helping your body wind down and enter a sleep-conducive state.”

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31°C Scorcher Set To Fall This Bank Holiday Weekend, Says Met Office

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This upcoming bank holiday weekend (Friday 22-Monday 25 May) is set to be “very warm” with “plenty of sunshine,” the Met Office’s current forecast reads.

Per the BBC, some parts of the UK will see the mercury rise to 28°C on Thursday and Friday.

Though very high temperatures (hotter than the hottest day of the year so far, which was 26.6°C), those don’t necessarily mean we’ll be in an official heatwave.

Here’s where temperatures are expected to soar, what makes a heatwave a heatwave, and how long the conditions are expected to last.

Where is it expected to reach 31°C in the UK?

As of time of writing, The Met has forecast 28°C in the South-East, including London, on Saturday, 23 May, with temperatures reaching as high as 30°C on Sunday, 24 May.

And on Monday, the South-East (including London) will see a scorching 31°C, the Met’s interactive forecast map currently reads.

Other parts of the country will still be hot ― Manchester and Plymouth are expected to reach 26°C at the same time on Monday, while Cardiff will reach 27°C.

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Heard it’s warming up?

Temperatures are on the rise later in the week and after the recent chilly spell it will feel markedly warmer📈

It won’t be entirely dry; thunderstorms are possible on Saturday – but it will be a fine and warm long weekend for the vast majority🌤️🌡️ pic.twitter.com/zJzjfv5GEE

— Met Office (@metoffice) May 19, 2026

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Temperatures are on the rise later in the week and after the recent chilly spell it will feel markedly warmer📈 It won’t be entirely dry; thunderstorms are possible on Saturday – but it will be a fine and warm long weekend for the vast majority🌤️🌡️ pic.twitter.com/zJzjfv5GEE— Met Office (@metoffice) May 19, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/2056698970961829888/pu/img/A23jgsvSqbecIASQ.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":720,"title":"Met Office on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/2056698993757823407","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{"fonts":{"primary":{},"accent":{},"caption":{}}},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"life","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-heatwave-bank-holiday-weekend_uk_6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767","entryTagsList":"weather,heatwave","sectionSlug":"lifestyle","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.lifestyle","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/4c2615b8-caae-4d5a-bab7-30953fac6785/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"weather","slug":"weather","links":{"relativeLink":"news/weather","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/weather","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/weather"},"relegenceSubjectId":983981,"section":{"title":"News","slug":"news"},"topic":{"title":"Weather","slug":"weather","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/weather/"},{"name":"heatwave","slug":"heatwave","links":{"relativeLink":"news/heatwave","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/heatwave","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/heatwave"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/heatwave/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fuk-heatwave-bank-holiday-weekend_uk_6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":false,"bodyAds":["

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Heard it’s warming up?

Temperatures are on the rise later in the week and after the recent chilly spell it will feel markedly warmer📈

It won’t be entirely dry; thunderstorms are possible on Saturday – but it will be a fine and warm long weekend for the vast majority🌤️🌡️ pic.twitter.com/zJzjfv5GEE

— Met Office (@metoffice) May 19, 2026

Is that a heatwave?

A heatwave officially occurs when somewhere in the UK gets a minimum of three days in a row at or above the maximum temperature threshold.

In the UK, those maximums vary. The South-East is sunnier than the rest of the UK, meaning its temperature threshold is 28°C or 27°C. London’s threshold is 28°C.

As you head further North and West, that threshold reaches 25°C and 26°C.

London is predicted to reach or exceed these temperatures on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (Tuesday should be a scorcher too), so yes, if those predictions hold, we will be in an official heatwave. Other parts of the country, particularly in the South-East, are likely to qualify too.

How long will the heatwave last?

High pressure, which is responsible for sunny, dry conditions, is expected to last into the week following this Bank Holiday weekend, the Met Office said.

In fact, their long-range forecast reads that while we’ll likely see some rain and scattered showers in between, sunnier, warmer weather could last until “mid-June”.

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