British heatwave: why is it so hot?

We've already seen temperatures soar into the 30s Celsius, but how much hotter will it get, and why?

What initially seemed like an absurd weather model outlier, seems to now be an alarming possibility. Whilst there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding just how high temperatures could get, there is enough of a chance for this to become a concern.

A combination of persistent high pressure, a plume of exceptionally hot air feeding up from North Africa and Iberia, and climate change enabling these events to become increasingly frequent and severe, have together produced the perfect recipe for the heatwave.

To understand the how's and why's in further detail, check out the above video explainer. More information can also be found in this article.

As the mercury continues to rise as the days go on, stay informed of the latest temperature predictions and observations on our TemperatureRadar.