When is the next heatwave expected in the UK?
Having basked in baking heat throughout the hottest June on record, Brits have had to deal with rather more mild weather so far in July. Whilst , there is no imminent sign of a heatwave hitting the UK. A spokesperson for the Met Office said: 'A mostly unsettled picture across the UK for much of this period, with a mixture of sunny spells and showers, but also the potential for longer spells of rain from time to time. 'Some of the showers will likely be heavy and thundery at times. 'Temperatures over the period are likely to be below average for many for the time of year, especially early on and in areas of persistent rain, but may rise slightly by the end.' Scientists have said climate change combined with the emergence this year of the El Nino weather pattern, which warms the surface waters in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, have fuelled recent record-breaking temperatures. Commenting on the weather outlook between Saturday July 15 and Sunday July 23, the Met Office said: 'A generally unsettled picture with showers or perhaps some longer spells of rain through the middle part of July, and often quite windy for the time of year. That said, near the low centre at first, winds will be light, meaning showers and thunderstorms will be slow-moving. 'However, towards the end of the month, there are tentative signs of slightly drier conditions taking hold, with fewer in the way of showers and longer, drier spells, and consequently it should feel a little warmer too.' Between the end of July and the beginning of August, temperatures are predicted to become 'slightly above average' in the UK with indications of 'increasingly settled weather'. A heatwave is an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity. A UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold. This threshold varies depending upon whereabouts you are in the UK. Scientists have told MailOnline that the reason that the Brits are not experiencing as warm a summer as their European counterparts is the jet stream. This fast moving strip of air drives weather systems from the Atlantic towards the UK - explaining our lower temperatures. This stream of air sits at about 30,000ft - and can create huge thunderstorms when it changes shape. In summer, the jet stream is to the north of the UK, where it pulls up hot air across the country. Some say that climate change is believed to be causing worsening heatwaves. But Professor Nigel Arnell, of the University of Reading's Meteorology Department, says that research on climate change's effect on the jet stream is inconclusive. But Professor Allan added that 'it would be surprising if the unprecedented ocean warming patterns due to human-caused climate change were not disrupting the jet streams of air many kilometres above our head that affect our weather patterns'. With the Arctic region warming more quickly than areas further south there is certainly an argument to be made that climate change is interfering with the jet stream. What is more certain, Professor Allan said, is that global warming is 'intensifying the heatwaves, droughts and deluges where and when they occur' meaning we may face more and more heatwaves this summer.