Sweltering heat to continue into week
THE UK heatwave is expected to continue this week, with new 2021 temperature records expected.
The Met Office said the mercury could have hit 32C (89.6F) in London yesterday, making it the hottest day of 2021 so far in the UK – although it could be beaten again in coming days.
Northern Ireland experienced its hottest day ever on Saturday afternoon with 31.2C (88.16F) recorded in Ballywatticock, in County Down, beating the previous highest temperature of 30.8C (87.44F), which was reached on July 12, 1983, and June 30, 1976.
All four nations recorded their highest temperature for the year so far on
Saturday, with 30.3C (86.54F) recorded in Coton In The Elms, Derbyshire, 29.6C (85.28F) reached in Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales and 28.2C (82.76F) in Threave, in the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “We are expecting temperatures to continue on the high side right through until Thursday, although the day-to-day detail will change and there is a tendency for the highest maximum temperatures to migrate west.
“So, we are expecting today and Tuesday for the maximum temperatures to be in the South West and in South Wales, and then later in the week temperatures climbing across Northern Ireland and the North West.”
Temperatures are not expected to beat yearly records on Sunday in Northern Ireland or Scotland with highest estimates at 28C (82.4F) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and 22C (71.6F) in Threave, Scotland.
Yesterday’s high temperatures mark the beginning of an official heatwave across the UK, as in London and the South East, temperatures must exceed 28C for at least three days to record a heatwave, and Sunday was the third day.
This requirement drops to 27C (80.6F) in the Midlands and 26C (78.8F) in the South West.