The Met Office has issued advice on how to keep cool as it says this Bank Holiday weekend could bring the hottest ever temperatures seen in May.
The national weather agency expects several regions to experience official heatwave conditions from Saturday to Monday, with the mercury rising to 33C in some parts of the UK on Monday. Saturday could bring 30C highs while 32C is expected on Sunday, the Met Office says.
As such, Brits will be wanting to keep themselves and their homes cool over the extended weekend. The Met Office has thankfully published a list of top tips. For those not heading out to enjoy the sunshine, the Met Office advises closing curtains in sun-facing rooms to keep the heat out.
Met Office advice for keeping cool in heatwave
- Keep out of the sun and avoid any exercise between 11am to 3pm when the sun is the strongest
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Close your curtains in rooms that face the sun
- If you are going out, take water with you, keep in the shade, wear sunscreen and wear a wide brimmed hat
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steve Kocher said: “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 33C recorded in southern England and the Midlands.”
This means the May and Spring UK temperature records will “likely” be broken over the Bank Holiday weekend, he added. The current record stands at 32.8C.
The hot spell will almost certainly constitute an official heatwave, which is declared when we have three consecutive days where temperatures anywhere in the country surpass the heatwave threshold. The threshold varies from 28C to 25C in different counties - meaning this weekend will smash through it.
The Met Office says heatwave conditions will likely be reached in parts of the south-east on Sunday. They could then spread “across central and western England and into parts of Wales”.
Not everywhere will experience blistering heat though. Mr Kocher adds: "There will however be more cloud and some showers in Northern Ireland and western Scotland through the weekend. With relatively low sea surface temperatures there is also likely to be some low cloud and sea fog clinging closely to western coasts."
