Met Office weather maps indicate that a heatwave will hit Wales this week, with scorching temperatures reaching 30C. Temperatures are set to climb across Wales over the coming days, with some areas forecast to reach 30C as a spell of hot weather develops.
Hottest Days Ahead
Monday is forecast to be the hottest day of the spell, with temperatures widely reaching 28C to 30C. Coastal and border areas are expected to be the warmest. The warmest conditions are expected on Monday and Tuesday, when large parts of the country could see temperatures approaching 30C.
Weather maps suggest eastern and south-eastern areas, including Newport, Monmouth, Abergavenny and Hay-on-Wye, will experience the highest temperatures. While Friday and Saturday will be warm rather than hot, with highs generally around 23C, temperatures will climb sharply from Sunday onwards. Cardiff and Newport are forecast to reach 28C on Sunday, while Swansea could see 26C.
Heat Builds from Sunday
The heat begins to build on Sunday with most of Wales reaching at least 25C. Areas including and east of Newport could see highs of 28C by the afternoon. Monday is currently expected to be the hottest day of the heatwave. Much of Wales is forecast to reach between 28C and 30C, with the highest temperatures likely near the English border and along parts of the south Wales coast. Even cooler inland areas are expected to see highs of 26C to 27C.
The Met Office classifies a heatwave as three consecutive days where temperatures meet or exceed a threshold value. In Wales that threshold is 25C, meaning many areas could officially enter heatwave conditions by early next week.
Tuesday's Forecast
Tuesday will bring little relief. Monmouth is forecast to reach 29C, making it one of the hottest places in Wales, while many other towns and cities are expected to record highs of around 27C during the afternoon peak at around 4pm. Even coastal locations that often escape the highest temperatures are expected to remain very warm, with St Davids and Anglesey forecast to reach around 25C on Tuesday.
The Met Office says high pressure building from the south will bring increasingly settled conditions into the weekend, with sunny spells and temperatures well above the June average.
Longer Range Outlook
Another very hot day is expected on Tuesday. Monmouth could top the Welsh temperature charts at 29C, while much of the country remains around 27C. Longer range forecasts suggest above average temperatures could continue into July, with further hot spells possible.
A Met Office spokesperson has given the following outlook for Saturday to Monday: "Turning more settled into the weekend as high pressure starts to build from the south. Sunny spells and feeling very warm with temperatures well above the June average."
