The atmosphere is primed for maximum heating today and or tomorrow over Scotland, England and Wales. The 30C mark will be pushed in 3 out of the 4 countries while Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and particularly southern Norway and Sweden should push the 30-33C range.

Only a 582dm upper, 1024 surface ridge produces little or no cloud due to the solid cap (warm layer) in the mid levels. These high pressure systems are about as strong as you get over our part of the world.

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This ridge is considerably stronger than normal.

In stark contrast, a trough is bringing autumnal air into the eastern USA.

Surface temperatures these days are widely between 24-27C across the UK and much of Ireland. It’s been even warmer beneath the core of the ridge with southern Scandinavia as well as the Denmark into the Low Countries enduring higher temperatures than across many Med resorts these days.

Yesterday saw 27.9C at both Aviemore and Achnagart in the Highlands while Powys in Wales topped 30C.

Check out these impressive highs from yesterday.

Here’s the current view from my office here. Looks more like the Med than central Scotland with clear blue, hazy skies.

Here’s the current upper pattern

Surface

Little change tomorrow at the surface but a slight shift begins in the upper atmosphere which heralds the weekend breakdown.

Surface (24 hrs)

Upper (24 hrs)

Note in the 0z Saturday upper chart, the system moving west over the Low Countries while the trough over the Atlantic approaches Ireland.

Timing of the front and rain remains unknown but I suspect midday on, expect cloud to thick from the west. How thundery this breakdown will be also remains open to question.

Looking quite unsettled with thunderstorms potentially widespread Saturday night into Sunday.

For those of you heat seekers and sun worshippers out there, the good news is that HIGH PRESSURE rebuilds back in next week!

Looking good for August here over the UK.

See today’s video for discussion.

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