The Met Office has issued a new update on the upcoming UK heatwave to hit the country in a matter of days, with weather maps showing a 32C scorcher is set to blast nine cities.

The national weather forecaster shared that several areas will bake in the heatwave from Wednesday (July 9). Areas around London, Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham are likely to see soaring temperatures, the weather maps from WXCharts have suggested. In the UK, a heatwave is officially defined when a location records at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold. Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said: "High pressure from the Atlantic will gradually exert its influence over the UK this week. We'll see temperatures build day-on-day, with the potential for hot conditions to become quite widespread by the end of the week and into the weekend.

"On Wednesday, temperatures could reach up to 28C in parts of England, climbing to 30C on Thursday and 32C by Friday.

"By this stage, heatwave criteria are likely to be met in parts of England and Wales, and in parts of Scotland over the weekend.

"High temperatures are likely to persist into the weekend, especially away from coasts with onshore winds, reaching the low 30s in portions of England and Wales, and accompanied by rising humidity and warmer nights.

"This heatwave is likely to last longer than previous ones so far this summer, and affect a wider area, with the focus for some of the highest temperatures displaced across more central and western areas at times. In addition, pollen and UV levels will also be very high in some areas."

London

Cardiff

Worcester

Liverpool

Birmingham

Oxford

Manchester

Bradford

Leicester