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 /

Seeking the truth: Extreme heat, or extreme headlines?

09:00
7 July 2022

Seeking the truth
Extreme heat, or extreme headlines?

Sunbathers at Brighton Pier in a heatwave last year© picture alliance

A heatwave is on the horizon, but how severe is it really looking?

Through the week, temperatures will be gradually on the rise as high pressure begins to build in from the south-west.

Depending on the exact placement of the high and the jet stream, there is the chance that we could draw up even more heat from the southern European continent.

Whilst weather models at present are trending with temperatures rocketing to around 30C next week, one publicly available weather model, has been showing something a little more severe, with a few alarming 40C figures popping up in there.

This is the first time any operational model run has shown 40C across the British Isles, so has consequently received major media attention.

However, there a lot of considerations that need to be taken before jumping to any conclusions:

  • These significantly high temperatures are still 10-14 days out. Weather models become inherently inaccurate this far into the future, and are only reliable with such detail a couple of days out
  • There are several weather models, each producing several different (and less extreme) outputs a day that many people do not get to see; the significantly higher values are an outlier and not an indication of the average trend
  • Weather model outputs are not a forecast, just a possibility from a range of scenarios
  • The weather is highly changeable in the British Isles; many factors would need to align to produce such extreme heat

Unfortunately, is not impossible for temperatures to soar to 40C in the British Isles. Such temperatures are now a realistic probability during the summer, especially in theme with recent record-breaking heat across the rest of Europe.

It’s still far too early to say whether this has any truth in it, but rest assured, we’ll be providing honest forecast updates as the week goes on.

You can keep an eye on our TemperatureRadar up to three days ahead too.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Long line of cars and lorries stuck on a snow-covered A66, with icy lanes, reduced visibility, and snow-covered fields and hills on both sides.
Friday, 13 February 2026

Rain and snow continues

Some disruption after overnight snow
Icy lighthouse in Sassnitz on Rügen.
Wednesday, 4 February 2026

Ice Age on the Baltic Sea

Permanent frost brings a frozen scene
Split image showing floodwater covering a road and nearby houses in a rural area on the left, and a Spain weather warning map on the right with red and orange zones indicating heavy rainfall, divided by a curved white line.
Thursday, 5 February 2026

Fresh storm front

Severe flooding in Spain and Portugal
All weather news
This might also interest you
Illustration of white and yellow fireworks on a blue background.
Wednesday, 31 December 2025

Hello 2026

Happy New Year
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
All articles
Weather & Radar
GB
Clima & Radar Brasil
Hava durumu & Radar Türkiye
Időjárás és Radar Magyarország
Καιρός & Ραντάρ Ελλάδα
Météo & Radar Belgique (Français)
Météo & Radar France
Meteo & Radar Italia
Meteo & Radar România
Météo & Radar Suisse (Français)
Meteo & Radars Latvija
OrasOnline Lietuva
Počasí & Radar Czechia
Počasie & Radar Slovensko
Pogoda & Radar Polska
Погода & Радар Україна (українська)
Tempo & Radar Portugal
Tiempo & Radar Argentina
Tiempo & Radar España
Vejr & Radar Danmark
Vreme & Radar Slovenija
Vreme & Radar Srbija
Vrijeme & Radar Bosna
Vrijeme & Radar Crna Gora
Vrijeme & Radar Hrvatska
Време & Радар България
Времето & Радар Macedonia
Weather & Radar India (English)
Weather & Radar Ireland
Weather & Radar USA (English)
Weather & Radar USA (Español)
Weer & Radar België (Nederlands)
Weer & Radar Nederland

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList