Parts of the UK are set for a week of high temperatures and summer sun as an area of high pressure heads to Britain from the Azores.
London and the south of England will see temperatures soar to around 29 degrees on Thursday (19 June). The mini-heatwave is expected to continue into the weekend, but a “northwest to southeast split is likely to develop”, according to the Met Office.
In the north of England, temperatures will stay in the mid 20s, while Scotland will see highs of around 22 degrees.
Jonathan Vautrey, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Many of us will be seeing fine and dry conditions overall, which is all courtesy of an area of high pressure that’s going to be building in from the Azores and gradually stretching towards the UK.”
He added: “As we head into the new working week, it is northern and western Scotland that will start off the wettest. The heaviest of the rain first thing in the morning, it will tend to ease off throughout the day.
“For England and Wales there will be plentiful amounts of sunshine throughout Monday. A little bit of fair weather cloud bubbling up, quite hazy perhaps for some southern counties in England. Otherwise temperatures will be up by a good few degrees compared to today and we’ll start to see highs around the mid-20s.
“From mid-week onwards is when we start to see that high pressure building in more confidently across the UK. The fine and settled conditions will begin to stretch to all of us, and the temperatures will continue to climb.”
The Met Office outlook for next week from Tuesday to Thursday says: “High pressure builds in, bringing drier, sunnier weather from the south.
“Temperatures near normal in the north, with very warm conditions returning again to the southeast. Windier in the north”.
Wet and windy conditions are then expected in the northwest in the last week of June, with heavy rain at times. Things will be more settled in the southeast with the sun shining, weather forecasters predict.
