What Causes Heatwaves in the UK?

The UK is well known for having very changeable weather- being sat right on the edge of the Atlantic, this creates what is known as a maritime climate. Often you can go out in the morning ready for one type of weather only to experience a few different types in one day! Over this summer so far, the weather has been incredibly warm and there have been a number of heatwaves already – a heatwave is when temperatures become unusually high for consecutive days.

One of the main things that can cause a summer heatwave in the UK is an area of high pressure forming and then sitting over the UK. This acts like a kind of dome, which prevents clouds from developing and also stops other weather conditions from coming in, meaning that the sun has free reign to shine all day – and in the summer the sun is not only very hot but also is up in the UK for long hours. Without wind or rain cooling the air down it means that temperatures can rise as the land heats up each day.

Another thing that can lead to a heatwave is when the hot air from further south moves north to sit over the UK – instead of the usual influence of the Atlantic and all of the weather systems that come from it, this hot air from the continent and North Africa can rapidly cause temperatures to rise.

With heatwaves becoming more and more common, keeping cool in a country that is typically built to keep warm has become important – getting a company like this air conditioning Gloucester based company https://acecc.co.uk/ to install air conditioning, using fans and using shutters or keeping curtains and blinds closed in the day all help to keep your home cooler.