The Met Office weather maps have turned orange as a warm spell approaches, with temperatures set to hit 28C in some parts of England by Friday. However, forecasters warn that thunderstorms are also likely towards the end of the week, particularly across the East of England.
Gradual Temperature Rise
Temperatures are expected to climb gradually this week as a band of high pressure moves in from the west. After a cool start to the week—with the thermometer barely reaching 11.6C in the Shetland Islands and 14.8C in County Antrim on Sunday, and drizzle across the South of England on Monday—conditions are set to improve. Additional rainfall is forecast for Tuesday, with the heaviest downpours likely in the Southwest of England.
Friday's Heat
The Met Office weather chart for Friday shows an orange tint across much of the UK, indicating warmer and drier conditions. The East of England and the Southeast of England are expected to be the hottest areas, with widespread temperatures of 28C and 27C respectively. Honor Criswick, a Met Office meteorologist, stated: "The temperatures [this week] are going to be increasing day by day, especially across the Southeast of England. This is where high pressure is starting to build this week, and we start to bring in a slightly warmer plume of air here as well. So, there's potentially some very warm if not quite hot weather towards the end of the week. However, this may spark off some thunderstorms."
Weekend Storms
Although no weather warnings have been issued for storms, the Met Office indicates that rainfall will interrupt the warmer spell. Parts of south Wales and the Southwest of England may experience showers over the weekend. Even in northern England, temperatures on Friday are expected to reach 20C, warmer than at the end of last week. Meteorologists believe Lincolnshire and Humberside will be among the warmest areas on Friday.
Long-Range Outlook
Following an unsettled weekend with storms and rain, warmer conditions are anticipated to return for the remainder of June. The Met Office's long-range forecast for June 20 to June 29 states: "There is the possibility of some very warm and humid weather across parts of south and southeast Britain at the start of this period and perhaps the chance of a few thunderstorms too. Generally more changeable to the north and west at first, but there is a signal for high pressure to build more widely as we move towards the latter part of June. This likely brings more widely drier, settled conditions with temperatures probably remaining above average for most. It is still possible that Atlantic low pressure may still bring brief spells of wet and windy weather. There is a chance that the hot conditions could return northwards accompanied by a thunderstorm risk; this all dependent on the orientation of the aforementioned high pressure."
