The Met Office has forecast a scorching heatwave will hit much of the UK before next weekend, with temperatures soaring to as high as 30C. Increasingly hot weather is set to build throughout this week, with temperatures hitting highs of 27C on Wednesday, rising to 29C on Thursday, and by Saturday, temperature highs are expected to exceed 30C.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: 'An area of high pressure over southern England will build across a larger part of the UK through midweek.' Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson added that the rising temperatures are 'a combination of several factors', including settled weather and warm sunshine, and later southerly winds drawing warmer air from continental Europe.
The Met Office categorises a heatwave as when a location records at least three consecutive days of temperatures reaching or exceeding the heatwave threshold, which varies by location. The threshold is 25C across much of the north and west of the UK, but 28C across Greater London and the Home Counties.
Mr Wisson believes some places could 'very well be meeting heatwave thresholds' by the beginning of the weekend. 'While the warmest temperatures are likely across London and the east of England, by Saturday heatwave thresholds could be reached across much of the Midlands, low-lying areas bordering the Peak District and even parts of east Wales,' he added.
High pressure is expected to move away early next week, causing temperatures to fall, but there is uncertainty in how quickly this will happen. Mr Wisson says temperatures are 'likely to peak in the low 30s Celsius this weekend before easing sometime early week', with a lower-likelihood scenario of temperatures rising into the mid 30s by Monday.
