Weather expert predicts warmer, drier weather this week in Aylesbury Vale

Here in the UK, it’s been unsettled and rather cool over recent weeks with showers or thunderstorms bringing some locally torrential downpours and flooding.

Meanwhile, over in south-east Europe, many countries have been experiencing hot and very dry conditions for some time, which has proved deadly.

Parts of south-east Europe have seen one of the worst heatwaves in decades as a result of a persistent area of high pressure, with temperatures climbing above 40C in many countries, including Greece, Italy and Turkey. A top temperature of 47.1C was recorded in Langadas, Greece on August 3, just shy of the all-time national record.

The heat has triggered numerous devastating wildfires, with the worst blazes reported in southern Greece and along Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. Thousands of locals and tourists were evacuated in Greece at the weekend, including near the capital, Athens due to serious wildfires that have destroyed homes and businesses.

Strong winds helped exacerbate the fires and made them difficult to control. At least two people have been killed, with eight people reported to have died in Turkey. Almost 800 firefighters are attempting to bring the fires in Greece under control, with support also being drafted in from other nations including the UK, France and Switzerland.

Although wildfires are common across Europe in the summer months, the recent dry and hot weather has exacerbated them, with scientists stating that climate change will increase both the frequency and intensity of wildfires in the future due to higher global temperatures.

How’s the rest of the week shaping up closer to home? It looks mainly dry for the Vale and southern parts of the UK with pressure starting to build from the near continent. Temperatures close to or just above average.