UK swelters in 31C temperatures – as Brits whip tops off and make the leap
It’s hot, really hot. Might even be too hot.
Britain is sweltering under what the Met Office has said are temperatures that could go north of 30C. In parts of the UK, highs of 31C are expected, with tomorrow (Saturday, July 20) expected to follow up with further highs of 30C for parts of the country.
If ever there were a time to get the paddling pool out, it would probably be now. And it seems a lot of Brits have got the memo, with images already floating into Daily Star Towers of overheating parkgoers and early morning dips.
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Images of Londoners cooking in the capital’s parks – often blokes with their tops off, of course, are two a penny, while a dramatic snap of a P&O ferry between Dover and Calais on the English Channel shows hot summer mist on the water.
(Image: PA)
The South East of England is bearing the brunt of the heat, with the likes of Kent, Sussex and Capital sweltering under what is expected to be the highest temperatures.
Parts of the UK are expected to be hotter than Ibiza this weekend, with the Spanish island seeing highs of a relatively mild 28C.
Looking ahead over the weekend, the Met Office has said: “The Greater London area could potentially see temperatures of 31°C, and quite widely temperatures will be in the high 20°Cs across many central and southern areas of England. Overnight temperatures will also be very warm.
(Image: PA)
“Northern Ireland, northern England and much of Scotland will be feeling cooler, with the potential for some cloud and rain.”
The hot weather is part of what is being described as a ‘mini heatwave’ with “more unsettled” conditions expected to arrive towards the end of the weekend.
Speaking in the Met Office’s 10-Day Trend video on YouTube, Meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said: “For the last few weeks, we’ve been on the northern side of the jet stream and over the next few days, its position will change. It becomes a more amplified pattern, diving down well to the south of the UK and taking low-pressure systems up to the north and west of the UK.
(Image: PA)
“But, as we head towards the weekend, Sunday most likely, will see the return of the stronger jet core to affect the UK, meaning it is going to turn a bit more unsettled and certainly cooler again.”
These temperatures, which are what many hope for when they think of a British summer, come as a welcome spell to many after soggy conditions for much of July so far. In fact, according to MailOnline, we’ve already seen 97% of the average rainfall for July.
(Image: PA)
Despite the warm weekend, the Met Office reckons it’s unlikely we will be able to define this patch as a proper heatwave.
The forecaster said: “Temperatures need to hit or exceed a particular value for three consecutive days for it to be considered a heatwave. Although a few locations may reach their criteria for three days in a row this week, for most of us it’s going to be one or two days of warmth before the cooler air arrives.”
(Image: PA)
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