some serious heat on Friday 35 degrees and next week will peak could reach 35 plus I think we could pay for the summer this winter 1995 heatwave was followed by a very early harsh winter starting in November...

With a record equalling cold spell over Christmas week and the mother of all blizzards in northernSScotland on Christmas eve iirc.

We`ve already paid for it by way of the past 11 summers! This is nature balancing things out,however,and I hate to say it but I have a gut feeling there will be a major breakdown around mid august.3 scorching bank holidays on the trot is surely too much to ask lol

Into next week

Fresher for a time
Some rain - mostly in the NW
Hotter again from mid week

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/44932902

State of emergency in Greece as wildfires force people to flee homes

Highways are shut and flights diverted as two fires rage either side of Athens and people are told to "just leave"

https://news.sky.com/story/state-of-emergency-in-greece-as-wildfires-force-people-to-flee-homes-11446677

No need to 'hate to say it'  A gut feeling means absolutely nothing anyway  

24 dead  EDIT - now 50 and counting 

Puts into perspective the local moaning about traffic chaos following a 2-hour closure of a main exit from Chichester, caused by a grass fire

I thought Greece had a wet Spring as well...puts ours into perspective and when there is wild panic over a moorland fire where no one lives (yes it was devastating but heather grows back stronger!).

It's not a service aimed at the general public. From that page:

Why is the heat-health watch no longer on the Met Office website?

The heat-health watch service is still available on the Met Office website but no longer appears as a banner on our home page. The service is for health professionals, contingency planners and emergency responders, and is used for planning purposes, with any alerts going directly to these groups. The public can keep up to date with the weather forecast on our website.

Japan heatwave declared natural disaster as death toll mounts

"Japan's weather agency has declared a heatwave sweeping the country a natural disaster, with at least 65 deaths recorded in the past week.

An agency spokesman warned that "unprecedented levels of heat" were being seen in some areas.

More than 22,000 people have been admitted to hospital with heat stroke, nearly half of them elderly, emergency officials say.

The heatwave shows no sign of abating, forecasters say.

On Monday, the city of Kumagaya reported a temperature of 41.1C (106F), the highest ever recorded in Japan.

In central Tokyo, temperatures over 40C were also registered for the first time."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44935152?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_weather&ns_linkname=news_central&ns_source=twitter

If Japan an island with huge ocean around it like UK can see 41C then UK can also see 41C in a right set up with HP to the east staying put for a very long time to allow this to happen but often the case HP move away or westward.

Japan has many different factors compared to the UK. You can't just do a simple comparison.

Its only a matter of time before the UK becomes a part of the record breaking summer - Whether that be total Summer CET / August CET or individual date records ( or the whole lot )

Also ive taken a punt in the Aug CET thread that Svalbard records its first ever 10c CET this month....

Either way lots of media attention to come - 100F is probably odds on favourite to occur in august IMHO..
s

A few days of summer are enough to dry everything up, and yesterday's gusts of 100km/h did not help at all...

100F odds on - brave call! But all of the building blocks are perfectly in place.

I’d say 100F has a pretty good chance, maybe not quite odds on. I’m more interested in a new UK record. 39C anyone?

Chance of thunderstorms on Friday for S Central England (i.e. me) progressively increasing over the last 3 days on the MetO site; from 30% for one 3-hr evening period out to three 3-hr periods to 40% - 60% - 40% for the same time frame. I sincerely hope we get a storm - have missed all the action here but even more we need the rain!

"Close your windows and curtains" during the day appears to be the official advice. That's presumably because it is warmer outside than inside. Far be it for me to contradict the guidance but I do the opposite. Personally I much prefer fresh air and a breeze to the stuffy conditions which result from closing up. What do others think?

In America people tend to have screens or shields on windows to protect from the heat and keep blinds closed. I find it weird, but then Texas does have some extreme heat at times.

I think you'll be in the overwhelming majority there, Brian.

My house would become like the hottest of ovens if I kept the windows closed during very warm/hot spells, and things are not helped by the fact my house has got cedar wood surrounding the front upstairs bedroom windows, which are south facing and take in all the heat from the sun at this time of year.

I have to say that this guidance that was issued yesterday is the first time I have even heard such advice.

I have heard this before, but like you I don't follow it! If I wanted to be in a dark, airless and stuffy place, I'd take the Tube in London!

It depends on the circumstances and this advice is better suited for hot climates and properly insulated buildings (which don't allow the internal temperature to be affected too much from the external temp).

If it's really hot with no wind, then this advice could make sense during the day.

What you are supposed to do anyway is to block the radiation, so drawing the curtains but leaving the windows open makes more sense to me.

Also if you have loft windows, then that's the best way to  ventilate the house with the chimney effect.

UK Outlook for Sunday 29 Jul 2018 to Tuesday 7 Aug 2018:

Stronger winds and outbreaks of rain are expected in the west at times to start this period, some of this rain may spread eastwards and turn showery as it does so, perhaps bringing a few thunderstorms to the south at times. The first few days of August are expected to be mainly dry and fine across the UK but there is a risk of breezier weather with some rain in the northwest at times. Looking further ahead a good deal of fine weather is expected across many areas, although occasional heavy showers and the odd thunderstorm are possible. Temperatures will be around normal in the northwest to begin with, but otherwise it is likely to become very warm with a chance of hot conditions developing again, especially across the south.

UK Outlook for Wednesday 8 Aug 2018 to Wednesday 22 Aug 2018:

Throughout this period it seems most likely that the weather pattern will change only very slowly. Western and southern areas will often be dry, sunny and very warm, but with the risk of some cloudier periods with rain at times, or heavy showers and thunderstorms. Further north and east drier and more settled conditions are expected to be more dominant, although with the ongoing risk of heavy showers and thunderstorms breaking out at times. Temperatures are expected to remain widely above average for most, with further spells of very warm or hot conditions probable, and a likelihood of very hot conditions at times, especially in the south.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast