UK heatwave on the cards as Met Office forecasts 24C scorcher in a matter of days
Brits are set to see balmy highs of 24C this week as finally temperatures start to rise with the Met Office predicting "more summer-like" conditions.
After plenty of showers in recent weeks the outlook is for it to be drier over the coming days although there will still be showers around, especially today due to a low pressure system.
As the week progresses there should be more sunshine and the Met Office said temperatures could reach as high as 24C in south-east England and 20C in Scotland by Friday. It comes after temperatures so far this month have been a few degrees below their seasonal average, affecting small businesses which rely on tourism or high street foot traffic at the start of summer.
The UK experienced its coolest first 10 days of June since 2020, in contrast to the hottest June on record, seen this time last year, where the mercury rose as high as 32.2C in Lincolnshire and Surrey.
Oli Claydon, spokesman for the Met Office, said: “As we progress through June, obviously the temperatures are going to generally increase on average anyway, but it will feel more summer-like, especially in the sunshine. The absence of wind over the next couple of days will help as well.”
A temperature chart for Friday
Brighter conditions will cover southern England for much of Monday and Tuesday where it will feel “much warmer than it did over the weekend”, while showers will still be possible across northern parts of the country and in Scotland and Northern Ireland. A ridge of high pressure will initially bring cloud on Wednesday before thinning out for further brighter spells across the country, which will continue into Thursday for southern areas with light showers again likely further north, the forecaster said.
More changeable weather will bring rain at times throughout Friday, with temperatures still “recovering” in the south to around average and still higher but more “subdued” further north. Highs of 24C could be seen in south-east England on Monday, Thursday and Friday with low 20Cs possible on the other days.
More summer-like conditions are expected this week
The average maximum temperature in June for the City of London is 21.3C. Across the north temperatures will reach the high teens throughout the week with peaks in isolated areas, with Edinburgh expected to see 20C on Friday. Mr Claydon said: “It’s not unusual to have cooler interludes or cooler starts to some months but this was a below-average start to June for sure, and temperatures (are) starting to return back towards what people would expect for this time of year.”
Conditions will currently “remain fairly consistent” heading into the weekend, with any showers on Saturday likely to be insignificant, the forecaster added. The Met Office forecast from Wednesday to Friday states: "Fewer showers through the period with sunny spells for most. Some rain in the far north and possibly far southeast later. Feeling warmer in the sunshine with winds easing."