UK hotting up for a 25C mini-heatwave

BRITAIN is set for a mini-heatwave with above-average temperatures expected to stay until June.

Forecasters say that the UK will see the hottest day of the year on Thursday as temperatures reach 25C in southwest England.

The Met Office said it could be warmer than parts of Morocco, which is experiencing below-average temperatures for this time of year.

According to its figures, Rabat, the capital city, is forecast to see 24C while Casablanca will likely hit 22C on Thursday. Meanwhile, medium-range forecasts show that the warmer than average temperatures will continue until the end of May and into the first week of next month.

It comes after the highest temperature recorded this year was 23.3C in Porthmadog, Wales, yesterday. However, Tom Morgan, an operational meteorologist at the Met Office, told The Daily Telegraph: “Temperatures are going to rise day after day as days are getting lighter and lighter with more incoming heat from the sun as nights get shorter.

“The highest temperatures will be seen in south-west England, where it is expected to hit 25C on Thursday.”

Temperatures must hit 25C or 26C in south-west England at least three days in a row to be officially classed as a heatwave. Mr Morgan said other parts of the UK will see temperatures in the low 20s as far north as southern Scotland.

But the east coast will feel cooler at around 16-18C as winds from the North Sea cools the land. The forecaster said nights will continue to be chilly throughout May, bringing down the month’s overall average temperature, with the potential frost in rural areas, particularly tomorrow night.

Aidan Mcgivern, the Met Office meteorologist, tweeted a European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts chart showing warmer than average temperatures are expected to continue into June, if not beyond.

Mr Morgan confirmed that the warm weather looks likely to stay, saying: “The rest of May looks predominantly settled, largely dry and often sunny.

“The temperatures look to be a little bit warmer than average for the rest of the month. Early forecasts for June show an initial continuation of the warm weather.” He said that while there is a chance of showers or thunderstorms, particularly in the south in the first week of June, temperatures will still stay above average.