Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    British heatwave: why is it so hot?

10:00
13 July 2022

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.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Noctilucent clouds spotted over the UK. Shimmering summer view. . . Monday, 29 June 2026
Wispy electric-blue noctilucent clouds glowing above a dark twilight horizon, with rooftops, utility poles, streetlights, and overhead wires silhouetted beneath the night sky.
Monday, 29 June 2026

Shimmering summer view

Noctilucent clouds spotted over the UK
June temperature record broken again. Three days running. . . Friday, 26 June 2026
Temperature map of eastern England showing extreme heat around Ipswich and nearby areas, with temperatures reaching 36°C near Cambridge and a large red thermometer icon highlighting intense heat.
Friday, 26 June 2026

Three days running

June temperature record broken again
New record June temperature in the UK. Likely to be broken again. . . Thursday, 25 June 2026
Heat map of southern England on 24.06 showing extreme temperatures across Hampshire, with Gosport highlighted at 36.1°C and nearby Portsmouth around 35°C amid deep red heat zones.
Thursday, 25 June 2026

Likely to be broken again

New record June temperature in the UK
All weather news
This might also interest you
Storm Chandra makes impact. Severe gales & heavy rain. . . Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Split image showing strong winds over the UK on a forecast map and widespread rain and snow on a weather radar map.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Severe gales & heavy rain

Storm Chandra makes impact
Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands. Storm and rain. . . Friday, 12 December 2025
Weather graphic showing rain and wind fields over the Canary Islands and a central warning symbol.
Friday, 12 December 2025

Storm and rain

Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands
Mixed conditions on an unsettled week. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 2 November 2025
plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.
Sunday, 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList