Britain is set to bask in a late summer heatwave this weekend, with temperatures potentially reaching 28C in parts of the south and east, according to the Met Office. The warm spell follows a wet start to August, including a deluge on Monday night that brought half a month's rain in just 12 hours.
From Wednesday, clouds will lift across southern and central England, bringing sunny spells and rising temperatures. By Saturday, London and Cambridge could see 24-26C, climbing to 27-28C on Sunday in eastern and southeastern areas. Met Office meteorologist Emma Sharples said: 'The warmest day will probably be Sunday.'
Northern England and Scotland will see slower improvement, with showers lingering longer. However, temperatures are still expected to reach low to mid-20s by the weekend in parts of Scotland such as Aberdeen. Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham will see highs of 22C on Saturday but with overcast skies. Some windy weather is also forecast from Wednesday.
The heatwave follows a 'topsy-turvy' start to August, contrasting with a scorching July. June was one of the wettest and dullest on record, the 11th wettest since 1910. The Met Office noted that July was very dry across parts of southwest Britain, so Monday's rain was useful for parched gardens but disruptive for outdoor events.
Looking ahead, the best chance for a settled warm period will be early in the second half of August, particularly in the south. However, the Met Office warned there is 'certainly no strong signal for any prolonged period of hot weather' at the moment, adding that any hot spells are unlikely to be long-lived.
