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UK weather: Why is it still so hot?

A thermometer next to an image of the British Isles and sunshine beaming over the map. Getty Images

Parts of the UK are still very hot.

Some areas have had double their average July monthly sunshine in less than two weeks, as the heatwave continues.

And the warm conditions are expected to last for several more days.

BBC Weather's Ben Rich says that "high pressure will dominate the UK forecast for at least the next week", meaning rain will be hard to find and temperatures will stay high in many places.

Hot weather advice:

But what does high pressure actually mean?

BBC Weather's VBen Rich delivering the forecast in front of a map of the UK and parts of northern Europe.

BBC Weather's Ben Rich says high pressure is a big reason why we're not seeing much rain and won't see much for a while

If you ever see the weather forecast at home, you might have heard the weather presenter talk about 'high' or 'low pressure'.

High pressure acts a bit like a lid over the UK. It helps keep many rain clouds away and makes it harder for new clouds to grow, because clouds usually need rising, cooling air to form. With fewer clouds, the sun shines for longer and heats the ground day after day.

This is what is happening across much of the UK now.

Southern England could still reach around 32C or 33C next week, while many parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to stay warm, with temperatures in the mid to high twenties.

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London's skyline during the heatwave. Getty Images

Southern England could still reach around 32C or 33C next week, while many parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to stay warm, with temperatures in the mid to high twenties

This year's hot summer has already broken records. The UK reached 37.7C last month becoming the hottest June recorded.

It is also the first year on record when the UK has reached 35C or above in May, June and July.

It has also been extremely dry. "Rainfall - or the lack of it - is also a big story of the summer," says Ben Rich.

Large parts of England have recorded no rainfall at all this month. Wisley in Surrey has gone 27 days without measurable rain, while Herstmonceux in East Sussex has gone 25 days.

Rainfall is measured in millimetres, or mm. One mm of rain means enough water has fallen to cover the ground one mm deep. In a normal July, Wisley would expect almost 50mm of rain. This month, many places have had little or none.

More than eight million households in England are under hosepipe bans, which means people cannot use hosepipes for things like watering gardens or washing cars. This helps save water.

Temperatures may fall slightly by the weekend, but many places are still expected to be warmer than usual.

How have you been keeping cool during the hot weather? Let us know your best tips.