Met Office issues heatwave weather update... as this week could see hottest day of year

Forecasters expect September's heatwave to peak on Saturday with temperatures potentially reaching as high as 33C in parts of the country.

The weekend is expected to see the hottest day of the year, however, northern parts of the country are expected to be significantly cooler. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an amber warning for heat until Sunday evening at 9pm.

This means vulnerable groups of people such as those over the age of 65 or living with a pre-existing health condition should avoid excessively high temperatures due to adverse health risks. It is unusual for temperatures to remain this high for so long at this time of year, with the Met Office predicting five to six days above 30C in some areas.

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The heatwave has been driven by tropical storms pushing a high-pressure system over the UK, with the jet stream moving to the north and bending into what is known as an omega-blocking pattern. Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “An active tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic has helped to amplify the pattern across the North Atlantic, pushing the jet stream well to the north of the UK, allowing some very warm air to be drawn north.

“It’s a marked contrast to the much of meteorological summer, when the UK was on the northern side of the jet stream with cooler air and more unsettled weather.” A heatwave is classified by the Met Office as a consecutive three-day period exceeding a threshold - this varies across the UK.

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For Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall and northern England, the threshold is 25C;