The United Kingdom is set to experience a brief but intense heatwave, with temperatures in London and East Anglia expected to reach 27 degrees Celsius on Friday. This would make parts of the UK hotter than popular destinations such as Hawaii, Sydney, Buenos Aires, and Tunis, where highs are forecast between 22C and 26C.
Scorching Heat Ahead of Bank Holiday
The Met Office has confirmed that Friday will likely be the warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures soaring about 10C above the average for this time of year, which typically ranges from 15C to 17C. The heat is driven by warm, humid air moving north from the south.
Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge explained: "We've got some very warm, humid air coming up from the south. That means we will see some very warm weather, particularly in the east and the south-east, because there we'll see the best of the sunshine."
Regional Variations and Rain
While the south-east basks in sunshine, central parts of the UK, including Scotland, the Pennines, and the Midlands, may experience cloud cover and heavy rain. "Unfortunately, it doesn't mean everybody's going to get a warm, dry, beautiful day," Partridge added.
The clear skies are not expected to last through the bank holiday weekend. Saturday may bring bright spells but also showers, particularly in northern and western areas. Sunday is forecast to see widespread rain, and temperatures will cool to near-average levels for May.
"By the time we get to Monday, we're actually going to see temperatures roughly where they should be for this time of year," Partridge said. "We're looking at 11s and 12s in the north and 15s and 16s in the south, so it will feel quite fresh and chilly compared to what we've had."
April Weather Recap
The brief hot spell follows an April that was drier and warmer than average across much of the UK. Provisional Met Office figures show that all four nations recorded a higher mean temperature in April compared to the long-term average.
