A really, really good link below - it's a detailed video by the Met Office going into the heatwave and includes all sorts of stuff relating to the upper air charts, physics etc behind it. I would strongly urge everyone to look at at least part of it!
https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1153636088268722177
At 20 minutes into it, they even go into reanalysis charts from WZ to illustrate the sort of upper ridging required to generate exceptional heat.
I go on the link and nothing happens, which is a shame.
as the MOD has gone a bit quiet here’s a quick summary of this evening’s output on the lower resolution global models so far:
GFS op: heat maxing at 35C around London Thurs, lingering a bit on Friday, then showery breakdown with retreating Scandinavian high followed by reasonable zonal flow and intermittent ridging.
GEM op max 37C in Norfolk on Thursday, manages a 30 on Friday then similar generalised breakdown and later evolution to GFS
UKMO similar, retreating high takes up station over Greenland. Possibly less good long term
ICON similar long term to UKMO (low pressure lingers longer than GFS and GEM). Short term max 35C in midlands on Thurs and a cheeky 31 on Friday.
as these are lower res models - with the exception of ICON - they will be undercooking maxes a bit. Note GFS has alternated between 34-36C over the last few runs.
Brockley, South East London 30m asl