UK set for hottest day of the year this weekend as temperatures to hit 26°C
The UK could be set for the hottest day of the year this weekend after the Met Office predicted temperatures could reach 26°C.
Friday will continue to be warm and dry for most areas, with temperatures reaching up to 24°C in southern England although parts of northern Scotland will experience highs ranging between 16-20°C.
For large parts of northern England and Wales, temperatures will be warm but cloudy with a high of 22°C on Friday afternoon while Belfast is expected to reach 20°C.
On Saturday, however, the Met Office has said the UK may see hot and dry temperatures across most areas of the country.
The previous hottest day of the year was officially recorded at 21.8°C in Writtle, Essex last month.
Commenting on the forecast on Saturday, Met Office meteorologist, Alex Burkill said it will “be another fine day” for many.
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“Temperatures will be even higher on Saturday, possible 25 or 26” he said before adding that the UK is set for its “warmest spell of the year” so far.
London, Cardiff and Birmingham are to see the warmest weather on Saturday while for most of Wales and southern and eastern England, many will see temperatures range between 20-22°C.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will see lower temperatures of around 20-21°C for most areas albeit largely clear, while in the north of England, despite a high of 23°C, there is a chance of “some hefty showers”, Mr Burkill said – Stornoway and Lerwick in northern Scotland will see a low of a high of 15°C.
Sunday morning will begin warm, with London experiencing the highest temperature of 25°C but conditions will grow cloudy later in the day in the west and southwest of England.
Wales, Scotland and northwest England may experience scattered showers and thunder in the evening, resulting in up to 30 mm of rainfall, whereas eastern parts of the UK will stay bright and dry.
Heading into next week, temperatures will cool slightly and the weather will grow more unsettled, with rain and showers expected to move in from the west. Monday will cool down with longer and more widespread spells of heavy rain and thunder bring another 30 mm of rainfall, and blustering winds are also possible.
Pollen levels may also increase to moderate to high levels over the next five days due to the warmer weather.
Current forecasts are some degrees higher than the average for the time of year, with average high temperatures usually hovering around 15 degrees Celsius in capital cities around the UK.
But otherwise, the UK has experienced a chillier April than normal, with cold air continuing to hit the UK from the Arctic and Greenland.
Temperatures dropped as low -6.5 degrees Cumbria in northwest England, though some advised that a chilly April was nothing unprecedented.