Thinking about the next heatwave? Prepare for more rain first

Image source, Getty Image caption, A woman struggles with her umbrella as rainy conditions return to some parts of the UK By Simon King Lead Weather Presenter Published 3 June 2026 Updated 21 minutes ago The start of the meteorological summer brought a dramatic swing in our weather. High pressure which led to a record breaking heatwave across much of western Europe in late May was replaced by cooler and wetter weather as a stronger jet stream returned. And that pattern looks set to stay with us for the next week or so. Saturday brings more rain and showers but also a spell of unseasonably strong winds. The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for southern Britain which runs into the evening. There is concern that trees are in full leaf and this could pose a risk to outdoor events. The final day of the Royal Cornwall Show has been cancelled due to the adverse conditions. Warning details . By Sunday morning, more rain will have spread into Northern Ireland and western Scotland and this will progress eastwards throughout the day. Southern areas will be drier than Saturday under a ridge of higher pressure, so parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and south-east England might remain dry and feel warmer when the sun appears. Sunday night and Monday morning will bring the rain band further south and east, meaning a wet start to the new working week in eastern areas. Showers to follow elsewhere. Tuesday currently looks turbulent with regular showers which by afternoon will be heavy with hail, thunder and lightning. On Wednesday, the showers will be less frequent, before another area of low pressure looks set to move in on Thursday bringing widespread rain once again. Keep up to date with the latest forecast here. More heatwaves likely as warmer-than-normal summer forecast While summer has begun on a cooler and wetter note, some long-range forecast models suggest warmer-than-average conditions could develop across the UK, increasing the likelihood of heatwaves later in the season. The Met Office released its three-month summer outlook on 1 June - the first day of meteorological summer - citing higher-than-normal chances of hotter weather during the month. And for the whole summer - which runs through to the end of August – the outlook suggests "an increased chance of heatwaves and heat-related impacts". It comes after a late spring heatwave saw temperature records shattered across the UK. A new all-time May record of 35.1C was set in Kew Gardens, London, replacing the previous record of 32.8C from 1944. Yellow and amber heat health alerts were also issued for the first time this year. Long-range forecasts from both the Met Office and MeteoGroup – the provider of BBC Weather data – indicate an increased likelihood of heatwaves during the summer months ahead. MeteoGroup's seasonal outlook points to above-average temperatures throughout June, July and August, with the potential for a few notable spikes in temperature and significant bursts of heat