Time to put your sun cream on!
WE’RE about to get an early taste of summer this week with temperatures set to reach 24C.
Forecasters say the heatwave is due to a 1,000-mile wide Spanish Plume which will bring in hot air and “pump up the country’s thermostat”.
Some parts of the country could see temperatures climb to 30C, though the North East’s top figure will be around 24C, with the best of the weather coming on Friday and Saturday.
This means the North East will be warmer than the French Riviera, where in Nice temperatures will hit 23C later in the week.
Alex Burkill, a meteorologist with the Met Office, said Monday will see “a great deal of dry weather”, with highs of around 20C. It will become cloudier in the afternoon and evening, with a risk of a few sharp bursts of rain.
But any rain will clear during the night, giving way to fine and sunny weather on Tuesday and highs of around 18C. Wednesday and Thursday are set to get warmer, with the mercury rising to 21C, possibly higher. And the peak will be on Friday and Saturday, with plenty of sunshine across the region. Mr Burkill added: “Friday is looking like the best day, with hot and largely fine weather. Temperatures will be in the mid 20s, around 23C or 24C. “And this fine weather will continue into Saturday, with Alex Burkill, Met Office temperatures again in the mid 20s.
“It will be a good week for the North East. You will need to get your sun cream out – UV levels will get into the high category.”
However, the dry conditions may not last. Showers are forecast at the weekend and temperatures could go back down.
“The weather is going to break down on Saturday and there will be a risk of rain, which could be thundery,” said Mr Burkill. “It’s uncertain when exactly that will happen, it could be late on Saturday or over night.
“Temperatures will slowly drop by next week, though it will not be a huge drop.”