Brits to dodge 40C Cerberus heatwave as jet stream knocks it off course

14 July 2023 , 23:48

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Britain will be battered by wet and windy conditions, with the Met Office putting several warnings in place

The UK is expected to dodge the sweltering heatwave scorching Europe thanks to a jet stream pushing the 'Cerberus' plume away.

Instead, Britain will be battered by wet and windy conditions, with the Met Office putting several warnings in place for wind and rain.

Between 9am on Saturday and 11.59pm, London and much of the south of England is covered by a yellow weather warning for wind. Meanwhile in parts of Scotland such as Perth and Inverness, a warning for rain is in place until 8am.

This comes as Met Office experts predict a "below average" chance of a summer hot spell - as temperatures in the south are expected to linger in the low 20s, and Scotland is set to be in the mid to high teens.

Meanwhile Italy is preparing for its first major heatwave of the year - the Cerberus heatwave - which is expected to bring scorching temperatures.

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The Italian Meteorological Service predicts that temperatures could reach up to 48C in some areas, particularly in Sardinia and Sicily.

Rome, Milan, Naples, and Venice are among the popular cities anticipated to experience temperatures of around 37C, while the northern plains near the Po valley may reach up to 38C.

Rebekah Sherwin, a Met Office meteorologist, explained that the intense heat is being caused by a persistent high-pressure system above the regions affected.

She said: “Heatwave conditions already occurring across much of southern Europe, north-west Africa and the Middle East are expected to continue through the coming week.

"Peak temperatures – which are around 10 to 15C higher than average – could reach the mid-40s degrees Celsius in parts of southern Europe and up to 50C in parts of North Africa. Higher than average temperatures are also likely at times further north across Europe, but these will be shorter-lived and less impactful.

“The high temperatures are being driven by an established high-pressure system that is sat across the region, allowing temperatures to build day by day. Unusually high sea surface temperatures are also occurring across the region, with many parts of the Mediterranean seeing surface temperatures as high as 25 to 28C.

"This will exacerbate the effects of the heat over surrounding land areas, as even in coastal regions overnight temperatures are unlikely to drop much below the mid-20s Celsius.

“The southern shift of the jet stream that has pushed the high pressure southwards across this region has also led to low-pressure systems being directed into the UK, bringing more unsettled and cooler weather here than we experienced in June when the jet stream was at a more northerly latitude."

Hannah Kane