Author: Eric Gilbert

Saturday 25th July
The heat continued to build on Friday resulting in a peak temperature of 28.0C that made it the hottest day for a week being 5.1C above average. The breeze was very light with a maximum movement of just 12mph under a predominantly cloudy sky, the UV level of 4.8 had fallen back into the Moderate level, due to the variable cloud cover. Clearing skies overnight, under calm conditions, resulted in the breeze dropping out totally just after 23.00, that resulted in a minimum of 9.6C at 05.50, which was 2.4C below average.

Every day this month has produced a maximum that was above the long-term average whilst last night was only the third with a minimum below average.

Saturday began cool but strong sunshine, shortly after sunrise in Marlborough at 05.20, resulted in the thermometer climbing to 17.7C by 08.00.

With the anticyclone now positioned a little further southwest, the air is coming around its northern flank and arriving from the west, not seen since the beginning of the month, which will mean lower maximum temperatures on Sunday and Monday, so a little relief – but not for long. The barometric pressure has now dropped to 1012.1mb, a significant fall of over 17mb since Tuesday.

The anticyclone will reposition eastwards towards the Continent by Tuesday, which will result in the hot air from the Continent arriving around its western flank, pushing maximum temperatures very high again and likely to produce another, brief heatwave.

Why the words we use about weather matter

Author: Met Office
Wed, 22 Jul 2026

When we think about weather forecasting, we often focus on the science: temperatures, rainfall totals, wind speeds and weather warnings. But what about the language used to describe the weather?

That was the subject of a recent Met Office Deeper Dive, featuring Alice Stevens, a designer, researcher and senior lecturer at Arts University Bournemouth, whose work explores how language shapes our relationship with weather and the environment.

Her research sits within the field of eco-linguistics, which examines the role language plays in shaping the relationship between people, nature and the wider environment. For Alice Stevens, the question is simple but profound: how does the way we talk about weather influence how we feel about it?

“We’re communicating the weather,” explained Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Alex Deakin, leading the discussion. “The importance of language and what you say is really, really vital in what people take away from any given forecast.”

Friday 24th July
After a very sunny start to Thursday variable cloud began to drift across, however the heat began to build in the afternoon exceeding the heatwave threshold for Wiltshire of 27C, with a maximum of 27.4C at 16.34, being 4.5C above my long-term July average. The breeze was exceptionally light with a maximum movement, couldn’t be called a gust, of just 9mph at 19.59. The past night gave us the warmest night since the 15th with a minimum of 14.2C in the very early hours at 02.05 being 2.2C above average. The back track of the radar showed a considerable bank of cloud arriving around 00.30 which explains why the thermometer did to continue to drop until around sunrise, as on previous mornings. Due to the variable cloud the UV level of 5.1 was at the bottom of the High category, and of course we are over a month since the longest day.

Friday began cool thanks to the thick bank of cloud to the east that limited any strong sunshine until just after 08.00, by which time the thermometer had risen to 16.6C.

The centre of the anticyclone has eased away a little further. The barometric pressure has fallen 4mb since yesterday and currently is falling very slowly, that is allowing the low pressure around Iceland to edge closer. This will result in more cloud arriving from the north and a likely weak, cold front crossing early Sunday. At the moment there is a conflict of opinion as to whether this front will have petered out as it reaches southern England and be devoid of any precipitation. As a gardener, I really hope the BBC forecast is correct with the possibilty of light rain, but whatever, it will be minimal in quantity.

There will be some relief in the high temperatures from Saturday although the respite will be short lived as the Jet Stream forecast is for it to return to flow a little further north of the UK, which will result in very high temperatures returning on Tuesday that will likely be above the heatwave threshold again for the rest of that week.

From today the breeze will have a more northwesterly component, rather than the persistent northeasterly recently, hence the small drop in temperatures, that by Sunday is likely back further and come from the west.

yesterday I added part of a recent article on the main heatwaves, part 2 today.

Impacts on marine ecosystems
Warmer seas can have important consequences for marine life. Species that are typically found further south can expand their range northwards when waters remain unusually warm for prolonged periods.

One example highlighted by Met Office researchers is the octopus. Traditionally more common in warmer waters further south, octopus populations have increasingly been observed around southwest UK waters.

Changes such as these demonstrate how marine heatwaves can reshape ecosystems and alter the distribution of species around UK coastlines.

How warmer seas affect our weather

Marine heatwaves can also influence weather conditions over land.

Sea breezes often provide cooling during hot summer weather, particularly close to the coast. However, when sea temperatures are unusually high, this cooling effect becomes weaker.

Forecast modelling has shown that marine heatwave conditions can lead to air temperatures more than 1.5°C warmer over surrounding seas, with the warmer air subsequently transported inland by sea breezes. This means coastal areas may receive less relief from hot conditions than would normally be expected.

Why UK seas are particularly vulnerable

The waters surrounding the UK are relatively shallow compared with many parts of the world’s oceans. Much of the North Sea, for example, is shallower than the height of the Eiffel Tower.

Combined with strong tidal currents, this creates a unique environment where heat can become trapped and mixed throughout the entire water column. Rather than remaining solely at the surface, warmth can be distributed through much of the sea depth, allowing heat to persist for longer periods.

Thursday 23rd July
The temperature crept higher again on Wednesday, just 0.2 above the Tuesday high, with a peak of 26.6C at 17.03 being 3.7C above average. The past night’s minimum was also very similar to the previous night, once again a difference of just 0.2C, with a low of 13.3C at 06.19 being 1.3C above my long-term July average.

The UV level rose back to High again on Wednesday whilst the peak solar radiation was also high with a reading of 1058W/m2 at 12.29, probably due to a slight variation in the wind coming more from the north that is likely to have been a clearer air stream having travelled a considerable distance over northern waters.

Thursday began very muted initially as cloud had drifted across that was noted on the back track of the radar arriving just after 00.30 that limited the strength of the sun after it had risen in Marlborough at 05.17. However, by 08.00 the thermometer had risen to 17.9C, which made it the warmest start to a new day at that time since last Friday.

The centre of our, what seems resident, anticyclone is still slowly drifting southwestwards but will not depart completely as it will throw a ridge of high pressure back northeast over mainly southern England. Over the next few days the depression over Iceland will deepen a little and begin to cast its cloud over Scotland and possibly northern England that by Sunday will have pushed even further south containing a weather front that just, might just, produce a little precipitation here during the early hours of Sunday morning.

N.B. The image of the horse drawn barge on the Kennet and Avon Canal does not depict an emergency. At this point the horse is uncoupled and the boat rotated 180 degrees ready for its return journey.

Marine heatwaves: why warm seas matter for UK weather
Author: Met Office
Tue, 21 Jul 2026

While the recent heatwave over land is fading, the heat has not disappeared entirely.

Around the UK, sea surface temperatures remain significantly above average, continuing a trend of marine heatwave conditions that has become increasingly notable in recent years.

These prolonged periods of unusually warm seas can influence marine ecosystems, coastal weather and even the severity of major weather events.

What is a marine heatwave?

Marine heatwaves are measured differently from heatwaves on land. Rather than relying on a fixed temperature threshold, they are defined relative to what is normal for a particular location and time of year. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures remain above the 90th percentile of a 30-year climate record for at least five consecutive days.

Depending on how far temperatures exceed this threshold, events can be classified as strong, severe or extreme.
This approach reflects the fact that sea temperatures vary widely around the UK. A temperature that would be exceptionally warm in one area may be perfectly normal elsewhere.

A growing feature of UK waters

Recent years have seen an increasing number of marine heatwave events around the UK.

According to Met Office scientists, 2025 was particularly exceptional, with marine heatwave conditions persisting for more than three-quarters of the year. Similar events were also recorded in 2022 and 2023, while 2026 has once again seen sea temperatures significantly above average.

Wednesday 22nd July
The temperatures by day and night continue to ease upwards again that on Tuesday resulted in a maximum of 26.4C at 18.03. Variable thin, high cloud mid-afternoon limited the rise at that time before strong sunshine late afternoon produced the peak, which was 3.5C above average. The overnight minimum was also above average at +1.5C with a low of 13.5C at 05.31, just after sunrise in Marlborough at 05.16.

Wednesday brought a sunny start through thin high cloud that restricted the initial increase in temperature, although by 08.00 the thermometer had risen to 16.6C.

Although the high pressure has begun to drift away it will continue to dominate our weather for a few more days producing strong sunshine and temperatures well above average, in fact continuing to ease upwards. The direction of the breeze will back a few degrees to have a more northerly component, but no let up in the heat. By Friday, as the anticyclone regresses westwards, a low pressure system will edge closer from the north.

After the brief cooler period last Sunday/Monday, the ground has begun to warm up again with temperatures of 17.2C, 19.5C and 21.4C over the past three days respectively. measured at a depth of 5cm 08.00 daily.

Likewise maxima over the last three days have been 23.1C, 25.8C and 26.4C respectively.

The equivalent loss of rainfall due to evaporation from ground sources continues high but reduced from figures at the beginning of the month due to lack of rain and the ground getting progressively drier, whilst plants struggle to stay alive let alone put on significant growth. Earlier in the month daily evaporation was in excess of 6mm but now has dropped away to between 4mm and 5mm daily. The month’s loss of equivalent rainfall now totals 111.6m compared against the paltry 0.2mm of drizzle on the 1st. We have now endured 20 consecutive dry days with no rain in sight at the moment. A weather front might develop over the weekend but currently it is thought very unlikely to produce any precipitation.

Sarah Keith-Lucas
Lead weather presenter

Summer so far has been exceptionally hot and dry across much of the UK, with three widespread heatwaves and the longest run of dry days in central England since 1995.

England, Wales and eastern Scotland have been the driest areas over recent weeks, and this follows a very dry spring in similar regions.

Very little rainfall is forecast through this week for most places, with only a few light showers possible, mainly close to coasts.

As we head through the second half of summer, what are the longer range predictions, and are we heading into drought for the second summer in a row?

How dry has it been?

Rainfall so far this summer has been below average across the UK as a whole, but there has been large regional contrast.
Up to the middle of summer – 15 July – parts of eastern and north-eastern England had received just 26% of their total expected summer rainfall. Areas of northern and western Scotland had more than average for the first half of the summer, though.

For central England it has been the longest dry spell since 1995. Wisley in Surrey has seen 33 consecutive dry days.
Comparisons are being made with last summer, when drought was declared across much of England, Wales and eastern Scotland. It officially ended just four months ago.

This year, drought has not developed as quickly because heavy rainfall recharged our aquifers, rivers and reservoirs during a very wet autumn and winter.

However, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology says flash droughts with a sudden transition between wet and dry conditions are “likely to happen more often, and be more intense”.

Tuesday 21st July
Monday was similar to Sunday, and to what we might expect today, that is, many hours of strong sunshine that yesterday lifted the thermometer to a maximum of 25.8C at 16.44, which was 2.9C above my long-term July average. Also noted was the fact that temperatures are beginning to climb upwards again. Likewise, the overnight minima have started to rise with a low of 10.7C at 05.42 early Tuesday, after sunrise in Marlborough at 05.15.

Tuesday arrived with clear sunshine after sunrise that had lifted the temperature to 17.3C by 08.00, and still climbing steadily, that indicate another even warmer or hotter day today. The barometric pressure continues to build with a reading of 1029.3mb at 08.00, which is the highest pressure since the peak on the 3rd.

There’s little change over the next few days as the high pressure maintains its grip over the UK whilst slowly edging southwestwards. There are indications that by the weekend it will begin to lose the battle with areas of low pressure forming around Iceland that will attempt to push weak weather fronts down across the country. If the fronts produce any precipitation, the current thinking is that minimal rain, or none at all, will reach central or southern England.

There are indications that the coming weekend will see maximum temperatures fall to just above the July average before likely rising again into next week.

The Met Office have recently released an interesting paper on the effects of the marine heatwave in 2023, and of course which is also occurring this year.

Author: Met Office
06:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 21 Jul 2026

New joint research from the Met Office and the University of Reading has revealed that a prolonged marine heatwave in the North Sea played a significant role in intensifying the impacts of Storm Babet (18 to 21 October 2023).

The study, ‘Marine heatwave amplifies extreme multi-hazards of extratropical cyclone Babet’, published in the Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences journal, finds that unusually warm sea temperatures increased rainfall, river flows, storm surge and wave energy during the storm, amplifying impacts by between 9% and 20%.

Findings demonstrate that marine heatwaves can impact weather on land. Waters around the UK are currently experiencing widespread marine heatwave conditions, which earlier in July reached up to Category 4, classified as “extreme”, a level rarely recorded in UK waters. This is linked with recurrent atmospheric heatwaves, bringing long-lasting sunny and calm conditions for the third time this year, giving sea surface temperatures little opportunity to cool.

The attached image is of the horse about to be attached to the barge on the Kennet and Avon Canal

Marine heatwave added energy to the atmosphere

The study provides the clearest evidence to date that marine heatwaves in the North Sea can act as amplifiers of UK storm hazards, driving increases in rainfall, river flows, storm surges and coastal wave energy.

Lasting almost seven weeks, from 1 September to 21 October 2023, the North Sea marine heatwave warmed the full depth of the shallow basin by around 0.8-1 °C. These unusually warm conditions resulted from persistent anticyclonic weather, allowing the ocean to absorb and retain excess heat.

Storm Babet induced a low-level wind jet, a fast-moving stream of air close to the ground that helps storms grow stronger. As the wind jet came from the east, bringing heavier rain than usual to many areas, the warmer than average waters:

• Increased evaporation and added extra moisture to the atmosphere, contributing to around 5% heavier rainfall over eastern Scotland during the storm

• Deepened the storm slightly, lowering central pressure by around 1-2 hPa compared to a cooler ocean scenario, indicating a modest but measurable intensification

• Enhanced atmospheric instability, strengthening the low-level jet