Will we see more heatwaves this summer?

Forecasters issued their three-month summer outlook on 1 June which suggested higher-than-normal chances of hotter weather during June.

A “few notable high temperature spikes” are also possible this summer, according to MeteoGroup who currently provide BBC Weather with data.

These seasonal forecasts have so far proved accurate.

For only the second time since their inception in 2021, a red extreme heat warning was issued by the Met Office this week across south-east Wales and southern England.

Schools were closed and the transport network strained as people tried to deal with the extreme heat.

As for the rest of summer – which runs through to the end of August – forecasters suggest “an increased chance of heatwaves and heat-related impacts”.

They also say “above-average temperatures” are expected for each month of July and August, and “significant bursts” of heat are expected in the UK, and across Europe.

According to the Met Office, having a hotter summer is now twice as likely than the period of 1991-2020, which is consistent with our warming climate.