Met Office Identifies 40 UK Counties Missing Out on Mini-Heatwave
The Met Office has released a detailed forecast naming 40 counties across the United Kingdom that are set to miss out on the anticipated mini-heatwave this week. From Wednesday, 8 April 2026, temperatures are expected to soar to highs of 26C in many parts of the country, but Scotland and Northern Ireland will largely be excluded from this warm spell.
Forecast Details for the Week
According to the Met Office, not all regions will bask in sunshine. The agency warns that Northern Ireland and northwest Scotland will experience cloudier and cooler conditions, with occasional outbreaks of rain. The forecast for Wednesday, 8 April, specifies that northern and western areas will often be cloudy, with some rain early and later in the day. In contrast, other parts of the UK will enjoy a fine day with plenty of sunshine, feeling very warm, especially across the south and east.
A band of rain is predicted to move across Northern Ireland and Scotland overnight, while England and Wales will remain mostly dry, with the clearest skies in the east. The night is expected to be mild, except in the northwest.
Extended Weather Outlook
The outlook for Thursday, 9 April, indicates that rain followed by cooler and showery weather will continue to move southeastwards across the UK throughout the day. The southeast will stay dry and warm until later on. From Friday to Sunday, spanning 10 to 12 April, the weather is forecast to remain unsettled, with further bands of rain and showers. However, some drier and brighter interludes may develop in-between, with temperatures near or occasionally a little below average.
List of Counties Missing the Heatwave
The following 40 counties are set to miss out on the mini-heatwave from Wednesday onwards:
- Aberdeenshire
- Angus (Forfarshire)
- Argyll
- Ayrshire
- Banffshire
- Berwickshire
- Buteshire
- Caithness
- Clackmannanshire
- Cromartyshire
- Dumfriesshire
- Dunbartonshire (or Dumbartonshire)
- East Lothian (or Haddingtonshire)
- Elginshire (or Moray)
- Fife
- Inverness-shire
- Kincardineshire
- Kinross-shire
- Kirkcudbrightshire
- Lanarkshire
- Midlothian (Edinburghshire)
- Nairnshire
- Orkney
- Peeblesshire
- Perthshire
- Renfrewshire
- Ross-shire
- Roxburghshire
- Selkirkshire
- Shetland
- Stirlingshire
- Sutherland
- West Lothian (Linlithgowshire)
- Wigtownshire
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry (or Derry)
- County Tyrone
This comprehensive list highlights the regional disparities in weather patterns across the UK during this period, with many areas in Scotland and Northern Ireland facing cooler and wetter conditions while the rest of the country enjoys warmer temperatures.
