Britain to bake for days as Met Office guidelines on heatwave – however downpours are coming
The Met Office says the UK will bake in a record-breaking 33C heatwave, before lower pressure brings widespread downpours and showers in June
The Met Office says the UK will enjoy a heatwave, before lower pressure brings widespread downpours (Image: Met Office)
Britain is set to sizzle this Bank Holiday weekend and the Met Office has revealed exactly how long the glorious sunshine will last before downpours make a comeback. Sun-starved Brits are getting ready to bake in an exceptional spell of warmth that is hotter than Barbados over the next few days.
However while the immediate future looks golden, forecasters have dropped a major update on when the weather is going to turn. In a new long-range forecast, the Met Office revealed that the blistering heatwave isn’t going to vanish the second the Bank Holiday ends.
From Wednesday (May 27) to Friday, high pressure is expected to dominate the country, meaning the sun is here to stay for a bit longer.
The Met Office said: “With high pressure expected to remain in place for much of the UK, fine weather and light winds are likely to continue for most places.
“Although perhaps not as warm as the start of the week, temperatures will still be warm or very warm inland, but it will feel cooler near the coast, especially with an onshore breeze. Some patchy rain may affect the far northwest at times, with perhaps a few showers in the far south.”
However, you’ll need to enjoy the sizzling weather while it lasts. Looking further ahead from Saturday 6 June to Saturday 20 June, the Met Office warns that lower pressure is going to creep in, bringing downpours back to our shores.
The forecasters said: “High pressure is more likely to prevail across the south and east, with lower pressure further north and west. Rain and showers are still possible at times, mainly across Northern Ireland and Scotland. During mid-June, rain and showers may occur more widely for a time.”
Thankfully, it won’t be a total summer washout, as the Met Office adds that “drier weather is expected between any bouts of wetter weather – these drier interludes will tend to last longer across the south and east of England.”
There is still hope for sun-worshippers, as “temperatures are most likely to be near or slightly above average overall, with some warm or very warm weather at times.”
The incoming shift in June follows what is predicted to be a historic weekend. Deputy chief forecaster, Steve Kocher, revealed the mercury is going to skyrocket over the next few days.
He said: “The Bank Holiday weekend will see an exceptional spell of warmth for May with a notable heatwave forecast. Temperatures will climb through the weekend, especially in the south, where 30C is likely to be recorded on Saturday and 32C on Sunday.
“Temperatures are forecast to peak on Monday when we could see 33°C recorded in southern England and the Midlands. It is likely that the May and spring UK temperature records will be broken over the Bank Holiday weekend, with forecast temperatures surpassing the existing record of 32.8C.”
That standing May record was set in Camden Square, London, in 1922. It means numerous areas across the UK will officially be hotter than leading European holiday destinations including Mykonos, Marbella and Benidorm.
A UK heatwave is officially logged when a region experiences at least three consecutive days of temperatures that meet or exceed the area’s heatwave threshold.
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