Could a tropical storm be about to bring the UK a mini-heatwave?

For it to be called a heatwave, the temperature criteria has to be reached for at least three days in a row.

But by Tuesday the jet stream pattern in the Atlantic will have straightened and we will be back to more changeable weather with temperatures nearer normal. So let’s call it a “mini-heatwave”.

We’ve seen a few of these “heat spikes” this summer.

I’ve noticed over many years of presenting the national weather forecast that it used to be the case that we needed three or four days of dry weather to lift the temperature to 30C.

Are things changing and these temperature rises happening more rapidly?

It is difficult to quantify a shift like this, but it could be that we are seeing another impact on our weather patterns as a result of climate change.