Weather maps have turned a volcanic red as they show Britain baking in another heatwave, but this time over at least nine days. The charts show things starting to heat up from Wednesday, July 9, with top temperatures of 27-29C in the south and Midlands. The mercury is set to rise up to 33C in Birmingham and 32C in London by 6pm on Friday, July 11.

Though almost two weeks away, maps generated today - July 4 - by WX Charts show parts of the South of England, East Midlands and East Anglia still baking on July 17. Top temperatures range from 30C in Kent, 28C in Cambridgeshire, 26C in Norfolk and 29C in Wiltshire and Hampshire. Maps suggest the peak will be on July 12-13, with temperatures soaring to a staggering 36C in the Midlands and even 34C around Yorkshire over the course of that weekend.

While WX Charts' maps show temperatures hitting the mid-30Cs, the BBC's weather forecast shows the mercury not rising quite as high. On the same weekend, it currently expects highs of 31C in London, 28-26C in Birmingham and 25-26C in York.

The Met Office's long-range weather forecast for July 8-17 says the period likely being cool to start off, but "fine and dry" for most.

Rain looks set to be confined to the north or north west while the south will be drier. Temperatures will start the period close to or slightly below average, but start to trend upwards becoming warm or "very warm", according to the Met Office.

This will be the case especially in the south of the UK, but "perhaps" spreading more widely towards mid-July.

Netweather's monthly weather forecast says inland areas of eastern England and especially the south-east have "potential" to end up more than 2C warmer than normal. This compares to the north and west of Scotland and the west of Northern Ireland where they are likely to be 0.5-1.0C warmer.

The forecast adds: "It is expected to be generally drier than average except in north-west Scotland, with most of England and Wales and south-east Scotland particularly likely to be on the dry side.

"However, localised thundery downpours are likely, especially in the south and east, which will locally result in near or above average rainfall."

Netweather expects above "normal "sunshine totals in the eastern half of England, but potentially below normal in western Scotland and the west of Northern Ireland.

Friday, July 4 - Tuesday, July 8

Headline: "Wet and windy in the north today."

It will be wet and windy across Scotland and Northern Ireland today, with the rain heaviest across western Scotland. The rain will later spread into parts of northwest Wales and northern England. Elsewhere it will be fine and dry with plenty of sunshine, but breezier.

Tonight will see cloud and rain gradually spreading southeastwards across the rest of the UK. However, very little will reach the southeast. It will be a mild night but still be windy in the north.

Saturday will see a breezy day with lots of cloud and some outbreaks of rain. These will be most frequent in the west. Temperatures will be around average in the north, but feel warm in the south.

The weather remains changeable on Sunday and Monday, with some more spells of rain, especially in the west. It will be drier and brighter for all on Tuesday when it will be "rather cool initially", but turn warmer.