UK braces for north-south split as heatwave builds in the south

The Met Office is warning of a sharp north-south split this weekend, with southern areas set to stay much warmer and sunnier while parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England cool down under cloud, breeze and rain at times. In the south, the pattern is expected to deliver the UK’s third heatwave of 2026, even as conditions ease noticeably farther north.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, temperatures could still reach the mid-20s Celsius, but that will sit well below the heat building in the south. Across northeast Scotland, highs may struggle to 17C to 20C where cloud and rain persist, a marked drop from the hottest spell of late June. The air should also feel less oppressive than before, with humidity expected to be lower and overnight temperatures less sticky.

The split is being driven by high pressure and a shifting jet stream, with low pressure and fronts pushing more unsettled weather into the far northwest while hot weather persists to the south. For communities in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the change brings a break from heat. For southern England and other warmer areas, the pressure remains in place.

Temperatures of 35C or higher have been recorded in May, June and July of the same year for the first time in the UK weather record, and the country has already logged a record eight days above 34C this year.

The cooling trend is expected to spread gradually through next week, but southern areas are likely to hold onto the warmest conditions for longest, while northern Britain sees cloud, rain and cooler air edge further south only gradually.