Temperatures have been sizzling in parts of the UK this week and it looks like we could see a second heatwave arriving very soon.

The Met Office recorded the hottest temperature of the year so far on Monday, August 12 - with temperatures reaching 34.8C in Cambridge.

"Provisionally this is only the 11th year since 1961 that temperatures as high as this have been recorded," according to the weather agency

The Met Office added: "Eight of those years have been since 2000 and six of them have been in the last decade," it added.

The temperature highs come amid a yellow heat health alert which was issued for the East and West Midlands, East of England, South East, South West, North West and London by the UK Health Security Agency.

The alert remains in place until 9 am on Wednesday, August 14.

The hot weather may have a minor impact on health and the social care sector.

How long will the UK heatwave last?

The current burst of hot weather is reportedly "short-lived", according to the Met Office.

The warm temperatures in the south are set to subside in the coming days.

The UK is expected to return to our regularly scheduled programming of a mixed weather regime with periods of showers, rain and sunny spells at times this week.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Chris Bulmer said: “The UK’s weather is transitioning to a less warm, rather more unsettled period in the coming days, though those in the southeast will keep the drier warmer theme on Tuesday, and at times beyond this.

“While a mixture of conditions is likely through the week, with various bands of rain moving from west to east at times, there’s a signal for some more persistent and heavy rain on Thursday for those in northern and western parts of the UK.

“While there are still some details to work out, some western hills could see in excess of 50 mm of rain through the period, with 15-30 mm of rain likely quite widely in the north and west.  

"Those further south and east are likely to see lower rainfall totals in general through the week. Winds will also be a notable feature for the time of year, particularly in parts of the west.”

However, it appears that summer is not quite done with us and warm temperatures could return in the coming weeks.

"Signals are ever-increasing for the hot to very hot weather to return during late August," Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden said in an update on Facebook on Monday.

Madden reported that a "major heat surge" will likely come between August 20 to August 25.

The forecaster also said these "high pressure rises" could continue into September.

That being said, he warned of "prolonged and much cooler" conditions across the UK in the coming days, as the Met Office has predicted.

A second hot spell later in August has also been hinted at by the Met Office too.

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The forecaster identified southern and eastern regions as the most likely locations for this.

Its forecast for August 16 to August 25 states: "Temperatures overall will be close to average for August, and there is a possibility of very warm conditions returning to parts of the south and east."

The Met Office forecast for August 26 to September 9 adds that "hot spells remain possible in the south and east", although the national weather agency expects temperatures to be "close to average overall" during this period.