Edinburgh weather: Will there be a heatwave? This is when the warmer weather will return

More hot weather is on the way to Edinburgh this week - but will it be a heatwave?

Following on from the record-breaking heatwave in July, it seems Edinburgh’s scorching summer is set to continue this week.

As the Fringe festival continues to take over the city, people hoping to catch some of the most exciting street performers won’t need to be put off by the rain this week.

Some parts of the UK will see highs of 35°C, but Edinburgh will see temperatures in the mid twenties.

So, what is the current weather forecast for Edinburgh? Here’s our breakdown of the latest Met Office updates.

Will there be a heatwave in Edinburgh?

While some parts of the UK will see their second heat wave of the summer, based on the threshold set by the Met Office, Edinburgh will not officially have a heatwave.

The city will just miss out, with three days of this week expected to see highs of 25°C and above.

However, as the week comes to a close the temperatures will decrease fairly rapidly.

What will the highest temperature in Edinburgh be?

The hottest day this week will be Thursday 11 August.

According to the Met Office, temperatures are expected to hit highs of 26°C in Glasgow on Thursday.

What is the Met Office weather forecast for Edinburgh?

Today

Today will be another cloudless day with a lot of unbroken sunshine with early mist patches burning off quickly. The day will feel very warm to hot.

Temperatures are forecast to hit highs of 29°C.

Tonight

Tonight will be dry and sunny. Conditions will remain dry with clear skies, some light winds and low cloud may develop across the Central belt.

Temperatures will stay mild overnight with lows of 14°C.

Saturday

Low cloud will clear quickly in the morning leaving a dry and sunny day. Temperatures will feel warm to hot with some light winds.

Temperatures are forecast to hit highs of 30°C.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday

Sunday will see bright spells and scattered heavy showers. Temperatures are forecast to hit highs of 23°C, and lows of 15°C.

The remainder of the period will see cloud and showery rain, however, later in Tuesday will be drier. Temperatures on Monday will hit highs of 20°C, and lows of 15°C.

Tuesday will see some lighter winds pick up and temperatures will hit highs of 17°C, and lows of 10°C.

What is the long range forecast for the UK?

Friday 12 August to Sunday 21 August

The start of this period will be mostly fine and sunny. There will be outbreaks of light rain potentially in the northwest and some mist near coastal areas.

Winds are expected to be light and temperatures will be above average for most with warm temperatures in the north and hotter conditions in the south.

The first weekend of this period will be mainly dry and settled for most. The north is expected to see the most of any precipitation, and there is also a low risk of thunderstorms developing in the south.

Temperatures will likely be very warm.

Monday 22 August to Monday 5 September

The second half of August will bring a shift from the settled conditions for many with the occasional periods of unsettled weather. There are increased chances of thunderstorms in the south.

Further into this period the unsettled conditions may spread further south and east, although northern and western areas are still likely to see the most of any precipitation.

What is a heatwave?

A heatwave is a prolonged period of time with above average temperatures.

According to the Met Office, for a heatwave to be declared a threshold must be met.

The UK heatwave threshold is described on the Met Office website as: “when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.”

The initial heatwave thresholds were calculated based on the 1981-2010 climatology of daily maximum temperature at the midpoint of the meteorological summer (15 July). In 2022, the Met Office updated the threshold.

The threshold for a heatwave temperature differs by county, with some areas in the southeast having a threshold of 28°C, while areas to the north and west have a threshold of 25°C.