The UK is set to experience a significant heatwave next week, with forecasters predicting temperatures could soar to 30C, potentially making parts of the country warmer than Los Angeles.
The Met Office indicates that high pressure building across the UK will bring warm and humid conditions. Temperatures are expected to climb above the seasonal average, reaching the high-20s or possibly 30C by Friday.
This follows a warm weekend, with Kent reaching 22.4C and London’s Kew Gardens 21.3C on Saturday. Sunday is forecast to be fine and dry for most of the UK, with only a few showers in Scotland.
South-west England could see highs of 26C, or an isolated 27C. Wales is expected to reach 23C, while Scotland will warm to around 20C after a showery Saturday.
There may be some thunderstorms in parts of the country on Monday, although temperatures should remain in the low 20s before cloud and rain spreads from the west on Tuesday.
However, forecasters say the heat will increase from the middle of the week as warmer air from Europe moves into the UK.
On Wednesday, temperatures in south-east England could reach around 27C, with another surge of warmth expected on Thursday and Friday and into next weekend.
While cloud cover could affect the highest temperatures, forecasters say there is a chance of 30C being recorded by the end of the week.
Met Office forecaster Kathryn Chalk said: “We’re definitely seeing a warming trend from midweek onwards.”
She added: “Relatively warm and humid nights are also on the cards- not as expected as what we had a few weeks ago, because it won’t be wall-to-wall sunshine like that, we had a stronger signal for that compared to this, but nevertheless it is going to be turning warmer.”
