Britain's THIRD heatwave of the year could begin this Friday

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy MARK DUELL, DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER (DIGITAL) Published: 09:24 BST, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 10:23 BST, 30 June 2026

Britain faces its third heatwave of the year from this Friday with temperatures soaring above 30C again following the hottest May and June days on record.The Met Office said highs of 24C to 26C were expected between today and Thursday, marking a return to more average warmth for the time of year.But heatwave conditions could then return with forecasters predicting the mercury will reach 28C between Friday and Sunday, then build to 31C on Monday.Meteorologists did however confirm that this next heatwave currently looks unlikely to bring a return to the extreme high temperatures or humidity seen last week.The Met Office says a heatwave is defined as three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.The threshold varies across the UK - between 25C in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and South West England, and 28C in London and its surrounding counties.Given at least 28C is forecast in London for four days in a row from this Friday to next Monday, the UK would officially re-enter heatwave conditions by Sunday.Before then, conditions are forecast to be changeable today with showers or longer spells of rain for some areas - heaviest and most frequent in the north and west. Three swimmers at Cumnock swimming pool in East Ayrshire in the heatwave last Thurdsay The Met Office forecast for London suggests four days of 28C-plus temperatures from Friday The Met Office has issued thunderstorm and rain warnings for parts of Britain this afternoonSome showers will turn thundery and a yellow thunderstorm warning was issued for Northern Ireland from midday until 6pm today for up to 30mm of rain in three hours.A yellow rain warning was also imposed for parts of central and western Scotland from 2pm until 9pm today for up 40mm of rain in three hours. Meanwhile the south and south-east of England will stay mostly drier and often warm.Met Office deputy chief forecaster Tony Wisson said: 'Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. TOP TEN HOTTEST DAYS IN BRITAIN - INCLUDING TWO LAST WEEK 1 40.3C July 19, 2022 Coningsby, Lincolnshire 2 38.7C July 25, 2019 Cambridge 3 38.5C August 10, 2003 Faversham, Kent 4 38.2C July 18, 2022 Pitsford, Northamptonshire 5 37.8C July 31, 2020 London Heathrow 6 37.7C June 26, 2026 Lingwood, Norfolk 7 37.1C August 3, 1990 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 8= 36.7C August 9, 1911 Raunds, Northamptonshire 8= 36.7C July 1, 2015 London Heathrow 8= 36.7C June 25, 2026 Merryfield, Somerset 'This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north.'The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20Cs across parts of England, perhaps 30C in parts of the South East, with values of mid to high 20Cs in Wales.'Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.'It comes after the Met Office revealed yesterday that a new provisional June temperature record of nearly 38C was set last Friday - even higher than previously thought.An updated high received by the weather service over the weekend of 37.7C at Lingwood in Norfolk was above the 37.3C recorded at Santon Downham in Suffolk last Friday, which was previously announced as the all-time June high.The new record during the exceptional heatwave which prompted a rare red 'danger to life' warning beats the previous June record of 35.6C dating back to 1976 by 2.1C.The June temperature record was broken three days in a row last week as thousands of schools closed, ambulances had record callouts, trains were cancelled, hospitals declared critical incidents and there was a South East Water hosepipe ban in Kent. The heatwave threshold is defined as three consecutive days at or above a set temperatureThe country also recorded two of its top ten hottest days on record - one being the 37.7C and the other being a 36.7C high at Merryfield in Somerset last Thursday. At least 11 people died in water-related incidents during the heatwave – including a 15-year-old boy whose body was recovered from a river at a country park.The discovery was made yesterday after the teenager got into trouble in the River Irwell at Clifton Country Park in Swinton, Greater Manchester, on Saturday afternoon.The latest heatwave came four weeks after England and Wales recorded their hottest ever day in May with highs of 35.1C and 32.9C respectively. At least 17 people died in water-related incidents during that heatwave, which peaked on May 26.The UK had four heatwaves in 2025 - two in June, one in July and one in August. The country's highest temperature last year was 35.8C at Faversham in Kent on July 1.