London and some parts of the UK could be set for an absolute scorcher of a day pretty soon that could even challenge the record for the hottest May day on record.
OK, so for much of the UK it’s pretty bleak and grey today, but most forecasts agree that better stuff is around the corner as we lurch from a long winter towards the summer.
Whilst we can’t be sure exactly on these things – the forecasts are changeable, after all – some weather boffins reckon that by next week London could be in the midst of a mini-heatwave with warm air set to arrive from Africa.
The hottest day in May on record is 27.8C, and that could be somewhere near to where the mercury rises to next week when the heat comes, depending on where you get your weather news from.
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If you want to get it from Jim Dale at British Weather Services, he said: “Very warm weather will start to come in from the southeast through the latter part of the week.
“Then, next weekend, we will start to see the real heat pick up as warm air comes in across the Continent from the South of France and Italy.
“This is the result of high pressure which will pick up a continental air flow, and it keeps the warm air over us into the middle of May.
“Temperatures could hit the high 20Cs after next weekend.”
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Even before then, the temperatures are set to improve, and next weekend is looking like being the hottest one of the year so far.
Dale continued: “Next weekend is shaping up to be the warmest of the year so far. It will be mostly southern and south-eastern Britain that will enjoy the best of the weather during the warm spell. Scotland and northern England will take longer to catch up.”
So, temperatures could be as hot as 27C in some parts of the UK as early as next Tuesday, according to BBC Weather.
That said, not everyone will enjoy temperatures like that, with slightly less expected up north.
You can put the big coat away in the cupboard for now though, folks., as the Met Office forecast from Sunday 15 May to Tuesday 24 May seems to back this up.
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It reads: “High pressure continues across the UK at first, centring over the east and northeast, while a lower pressure develops over the west.
“Fine dry weather can be expected for most, with an increased chance of more unsettled weather in the west and southwest.
“Through the first part of this period, the east-west split becomes more apparent.
“With settled weather continuing in the northeast, cloudier conditions, and the possibility of showers, potentially heavy and thundery, may be expected for the west and southwest. “Towards the second weekend, this unsettled weather over the west may spread further eastwards, bringing generally more changeable conditions for most.
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“Temperatures will be widely warm or very warm for most through this period, perhaps locally hot in the south and southeast.”
Tom Wood