UK Heatwave 2018 continues with little rain through at least the next 7 days!

If this heatwave was to continue through the rest of July then the summer of 2018 could go down as one of the greats and longest in recorded history. It’s already been historic!

It seems high pressure has been parked over the UK for weeks and in a sense it has with cool, wet spells few and far between.

So what has led to the current heatwave? Well May was exceptionally dry in Scotland with Stornoway going a record 3 weeks without a drop of rain.

In June it was England’s turn with a mere 0.7mm of rain in Middlesex.

Met Office

As a result of this dry end to spring and start to summer, our ground has significantly dried out, so much so that Northern Ireland issued it’s first hosepipe ban since 1995. An increasingly dry UK has essentially acted like a magnet for high pressure, enhancing this prolonged dry, sunny and warm spell so far. Like it or loath it, there’s little sign of any breakdown soon. With dry ground beneath an omega blocking pattern, these setups are tough to break with dry ground-atmosphere feedback on repeat.

Note this morning’s clear skies over the UK and Ireland surrounded by cloud.

The persistence in day after day hot sunshine is beginning to resemble the summer of 1976 for some. The intensity of heat has been equally as impressive as duration with countless records falling.

Heatwave 2018 highlights so far

Scotland records warmest day in recorded history with a high of 33.2C set in Motherwell.

Glasgow recorded it’s hottest day with a high of 31.9C.

The Scottish villages/towns of Aboyne, Dalwhinnie, Tyndrum, Bishopton, Strathallan & Salsburgh all recorded their warmest day on record.

Aviemore tied it’s all-time record with 31.3C.

Belfast recorded it’s warmest day on record with 29.5C.

Castlederg, Tyrone recorded it’s warmest day on record with 30.1C.

Derrylin and Thomastown both recorded the warmest temperature in Northern Ireland at 30.5C, just 0.3C shy of the all-time record.

Shannon, Co Clare recorded it’s warmest day on record with 32C. This was also Ireland’s warmest June day since 1976.

Credit: weather.com

As we progress through July, the ridge may weak and shift but it doesn’t give way to low pressure according to the CFSv2 weeklies.

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

I suspect systems will flirt with Northern Ireland, Scotland and perhaps Wales and NW England during the 2nd half of the month but on the whole, this pattern doesn’t look likely to truely break until at least the end of the month.

It’s looking rather dry not just through the next week but the rest of July.

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

Credit: Tropical Tidbits

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