Heatwave weekend!
At last, it’ll be a balmy bank holiday (in the South at least)
PUT away that brolly and dust down the barbecue. Hot and sunny weather is set for a comeback over the bank holiday weekend – and could be with us into the middle of next week.
By Monday, temperatures in south- east England could reach 28C (82F) – higher than the French Riviera, southern Spain and Morocco.
The sizzling temperatures could even break records, forecasters say. The Met Office said the conditions are being caused by an area of high pressure which is due to dominate southern Britain over the coming week.
It follows a miserable spell of cold and wet weather across southern and eastern Britain this week. Chris Bulmer, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘We can’t promise wall to wall sunshine for everyone this bank holiday weekend. However, it’s looking like a most of us will get to see some warm sunshine at times.’ Warm temperatures in the 20s Celsius, or 70s Fahrenheit, are expected across England and Wales from Saturday until Tuesday. Forecasters warned of the risk of sunburn due to higher UV levels and the pollen count increasing to at least moderate.
However, Scotland and Northern Ireland are set for cooler weather, with outbreaks of rain in the West. Met Office forecaster Sophie Yeomans said the South-East was expected to be the ‘warmest and sunniest’ part of the country as temperatures build ‘day-by- day’ over the course of the weekend.
She added there was an ‘outside chance’ this year’s high of 29.1C (84.3F) – recorded in London last month – could be beaten.
The hottest temperature recorded over a May Day bank holiday weekend was in 1995, when the mercury hit 28.6C (83.4F) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
But the heat, expected from Sunday, could break down and turn cool later in the week.
Monday’s highest temperatures should easily beat those expected that day in many parts of Europe and even north Africa. Malaga on the Costa del Sol is forecast to be just 24C (75F), while 23C (73F) is expected in Nice and Marrakesh.