Weather maps from Netweather.tv indicate that at least 15 areas of the UK will experience temperatures of 26-27C on Wednesday, August 26, with the mercury potentially nearing 30C in some regions.
Forecasters expect Wednesday to be the hottest day of the week, with the Midlands and the East of England likely to see the highest temperatures. Conditions are set to cool in the days that follow.
Dry and Sunny South
Wednesday will be largely dry across the country, with only drizzle forecast for rural parts of the Northwest of England, including Cumbria. Further south, skies are expected to be sunny and clear as summer draws to a close.
Cambridge and Cardiff are among the warmest cities, with temperatures potentially reaching around 27C.
Met Office Weekly Outlook
In its weekly forecast, the Met Office said: "The start of the week will see widespread dry conditions, with lots of sunshine across the UK on Monday. Temperatures will be a little above average with highs of 25C in southwestern England and 22C in north-western England. Tuesday will also be largely settled, though with more cloud and the odd shower, predominantly in southern parts of the UK."
Rain is forecast for Thursday, with the heaviest showers across the Southwest of England. These could be thundery, particularly across north Wales and the Midlands during Thursday evening.
Hottest Areas Listed
Netweather.tv meteorologist Nick Finnis wrote in his weather blog: "A weakening area of low-pressure will move in across Ireland on Wednesday, bringing cloudier skies and showery outbreaks of rain north across Ireland, SW England and Wales."
"Further east, possibility of some early heavy showers or thunderstorms clearing north through the morning, then it will turn noticeably more humid, as a southerly breeze develops, with temperatures lifting to 25-27C across the south in any sunny spells, though skies could be cloudy at times, with further heavy showers or thunderstorms developing, particularly from the Midlands northwards."
The areas forecast to reach 27C include London, Surrey, Cambridge, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight and Cardiff. Areas at 26C include East Sussex, West Sussex, Devon, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
