Third heatwave set for UK but Met Office says it will be 'significantly different' from last week's record-breaker

The Met Office has warned that a return to heatwave conditions is "increasingly likely," with temperatures set to soar back into the 30s within days, but says there are two significant differences from the record-breaking heat that hit the UK last week.

Forecasters say temperatures are unlikely to reach record-breaking levels, and the extreme humidity that made last week's heat so uncomfortable will not feature this time around.

The hottest June day in UK history was recorded at 37.7C at Lingwood in Norfolk on Friday June 26, beating 37.3C recorded at Santon Downham in Suffolk on the same day. That heatwave prompted rare red and amber health alerts, caused hospitals to declare critical incidents as machines and IT systems failed, and forced hundreds of schools to close.

Scientists said the extreme heat would not have been possible half a century ago, with human-induced climate change making such episodes more severe and regular.

What is forecast this time?

Tony Wisson, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: "Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales."

He added: "The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s across parts of England, perhaps 30C in parts of the south-east, with values of mid to high 20s in Wales."

He said: "Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low."

Are new health alerts in place?

The UKHSA has issued yellow heat health alerts for the East Midlands, South East, South West, East of England and London from 12pm on Saturday (July 4) until 5pm on Wednesday (July 8). The alerts warn of a "greater risk to life for vulnerable people," the potential for indoor environments to become very warm, and an increased risk of water-related incidents including cold-water shock and drowning.