Never say never.

I remember when GEM (bless)  was quoted as excessive when it forecast ridiculously high temperatures for the end of June. And then.

Well possibly correct; but if the official declarations require some more widespread threshold, and I can't imagine what those are at the Met or Beeb, a few spurious stations hitting threshold for 3 days might not be satisfactory. There has been a lot of debate re: Charlwood of late; and Retron and Rob K have been quite thorough analysing the various stations.

I doubt the far west US would declare heatwaves every time Furnace Creek exceeds N°C for N days.

It’s factually correct. Heatwave criteria has been reached 5 times this summer in various areas. Most in the south of course. Next week will be the 6th time

Other outlets are reporting correctly (6)

The “heatwave 5” logic doesn’t makes sense. Heatwaves aren’t counted by how many places hit the criteria, they’re counted by how many actual measurable  heatwave events the UK has had.

A UK heatwave is regional by definition. Each area has its own threshold. So whether Scotland, Northern Ireland or the North miss out doesn’t magically erase the fact that a heatwave happened elsewhere.

As I said, I'm not sure what the 'logic' is behind the reporting; and you say the media is reporting #5 upcoming- maybe you should check what the official MetO line is. That would at least remove the question of inaccurate media.

But do you really think if one station, for example, happened to just reach-say, 27°C, for 3 days, that a national announcement about 'heatwave' should be released?

I don't.

Actually I meant the possibilty of not making sense.

Never dismiss the GFS temperatures so far I am going for it as the 12z ensembles now inching up to 18C and the heatwave extended so for here I expecting 35-36c.  They were correct for my area showing 32-33C on heatwave 5 that i got 32.5c as the results.  Today was 29C for 12C 850's and tomorrow 30C expected with 13C 850's. 

GFS doesn't always overcook things. 🙂🙂🙂🙂

As Brian posted it below from UKM charts it the same as GFS.  From other forum those who dismissing the GFS are the heat haters.  I find there have many hate haters than heat lovers or summer lovers.  Cannot dismiss at your peril on any charts you don't like, the very dry ground is the main factor that allow high 30's temps otherwise low 30's in normal summer. Today humidity drop to 21% so very dry air that will allow higher temps.

I doubt there’s any sort of correlation, but in winter it constantly overcooks snowfall in colder spells. Think of Gooner’s JFF. Rarely or ever materialise. Not sure if that equates into heatwaves though. 

What's more extreme. 35c in 4 months, or 38c in 2?

Also, prior to this year June and September had the same mamximum (35.6c), so if June can get to 38c, can September also manage it?

Definitely.  🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/l.jpg  (via xc)

The MetO raw has 32 on Thursday with a brisk onshore breeze... hmm.

It ended up as 29.8 at Hull... even closer to that 30!

The app now correcting it to 33C for Thursday and last time they put 33 was for heatwave 1 to 3.  More correcting higher  needed to match the latest temps run from the models.  Thursday is the peak for here before this move east.  I find it so yawn fest when the last heat cling to the far east just my feeling even when I lived in Epsom.

Up here - very much less than halfway up the country - the temps during the hot spells have been more severe, but the less-hot/more unsettled spells in between have been more pronounced than further south/southeast, so it's not been as 'unnatural' here. It's felt like a series of heatwaves punctuated by a week or two of 'normal' summer weather, whereas it seems in the s/se it's been more a case of one long heatwave that's waned a bit for a few days before rebuilding.

This week, our warm spell will be 21 - 25 C for 3 days

We've had warmer summers

00z ensembles still increasing to now 18 while many members going for 20C to highest 22C for here and it not a spike type as it now more than 24 hours of 18c mean line.  Notice a bump on the 19th also so either this will link heatwave 6 or 7th if this come off.  Some few members want to stay at 20C line.   Those heatdomes over Europe won't end until the Autumn season will kill it as the sun get weaker so cannot stay long over Europe.  

Cooling by the weekend with some fresher nights by then.

The sun has lost a bit of its potency now, and it does make a difference to how its feels in terms of heat.

Not Charlwood, despite it being right in the hotspot, which suggests the issue has been fixed. 

Looking later in the week, it's really starting to look as though the 38C in June might not even be the highest temperature of the year.

We've had date records set in March, April, May, June and July this year - if the models are right then we will add August to that list.