UK weather forecast reveals exact locations of next 34C heatwave that will last 168 hours

Britain faces a scorching 168-hour heatwave this month that could see relentless, prolonged temperatures hitting a blistering 34C. The UK has had its hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday this week, with temperatures hitting 34.7C (94.4F) recorded at St James's Park in central London.

The previous warmest day in the UK in 2025 was 21st June when 33.2C (91.7F) was recorded in Charlwood, Surrey. Tuesday's heat exceeded Monday's peak temperature of 33.1C (91.5F) at Heathrow, which marked the hottest start to Wimbledon on record. But new WXCharts.com maps for mid-July show a shocking new heat front set to sit in for at least seven days - sending the mercury in the south-east of England soaring to 34C (93.2F).

The seven days start on Friday 11th July where 30C will spread across the entire Midlands and Yorkshire as far north as Hull - spiking at 31C in Peterborough in East Anglia and also down in Kent.

Saturday 12th will also see 31C in London and Kent, with 30C warming most of the south-east and East Anglia - with Sunday 13th slightly cooler with highs of 30C in Kent and southern England a pleasant 28-29C.

Monday 14th heats up again with the entire south coast of England 30-31C, with 26C as far north as Middlesbrough - and Tuesday 15th hotter still - with 31-32C across the Midlands and southern England - as Europe starts to glow red with 34C in north-west France.

Wednesday 16th July sees the heat spread further north as 31C seen on the North Yorkshire Moors and 30C widely in Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, York - while down south Swindon will see 34C.

Then it peaks on Thursday 17th with the entire south-east glowing bright red on heat maps as 34C covers swathes of London and the region - while over the Channel France will see a scorching 38C.

The Met Office's long-range forecast for 16th-30th July confirms that "hot spells" could be set to bake Britain again.

It reads: "Changeable conditions with a predominantly northwest to southeast split in temperature and rainfall, and the potential for further occasional episodes of hot weather and thundery outbreaks, are considered likely to gradually give way to something more settled and dry overall through the second half of July.

"Temperatures are likely to be above average, with the greatest chance of very warm or hot spells in the south or southeast."

This week's hot weather marked the second heatwave for parts of the UK within the last month, with scientists warning the searing temperatures earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change.

Provisional Met Office figures, released on Tuesday, show England had its warmest June on record last month, while the UK experienced its second warmest since the series began in 1884 - only surpassed by June 2023.

If the new heat forecasts become reality the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) may have to impose fresh heat health alerts, certainly for much of the south-east of England.

As July kicks off this week, forecasters said temperatures in the mid-30s are still relatively uncommon for the month in the UK, although they are becoming increasingly frequent with climate change.

Conservationists and green experts have also warned of the wildfire risk as well as the impact on farmers, who face another poor harvest following one of the driest springs on record.

Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation and restoration ecology at the National Trust, said: "With record-breaking temperatures across the country this week following the driest spring on record, our ranger and countryside teams are on high alert for fires which can cause decades of damage to habitats, decimate ecosystems and result in significant losses to our wildlife."

Tom Lancaster, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) land, food and farming analyst, said: "Crop condition remains poor following one of the driest springs on record, with the quality of key arable crops such as wheat, barley and oats well down on recent years.

"Many farmers will now be looking towards this harvest with real trepidation.

"For some, the weather in the coming weeks will determine whether they have anything worth harvesting at all."

Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, research fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, said: "Heatwaves are silent killers.

"Unlike floods or storms, their impact can be invisible: people who die during extreme heat usually have pre-existing health conditions, and heat is rarely recorded as a contributing cause of death."

In a warning to drivers, Alice Simpson, RAC Breakdown spokeswoman, said: "It's vital that anyone driving today carries plenty of water to stay hydrated behind the wheel and in case of a vehicle breakdown."