Parts of the country will be potentially 2C or 3C hotter than the previous May record as an African plume drives temperatures to extreme levels
(Image: Ventusky)
A blistering heatwave expected to hit 32C is leaving Wales sweltering this bank holiday, as thousands of people head to the coast for a weekend being called “May’s fiery flip-flop”.
Some areas of UK could be 2C or 3C warmer than the existing May record on Monday. In Wales, the May record was set more than 80 years ago when Newport recorded 30.6C (87F) in 1944. That record looks set to fall on Bank Holiday Monday with temperatures of 31 or 32C forecast.
The extreme heat is returning to the UK “with a vengeance”, after temperatures dropped to near-freezing at the start of the week, according to British Weather Services’ senior meteorologist Jim Dale. The dramatic spike in heat was caused by an African plume arriving just days after an Arctic polar front, he said.
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“We’re probably overdue this heat in that respect,” Mr Dale said. “It’s coming back with vengeance. It is going to heat up quite a lot, to say the least.”
Bank Holiday Monday was predicted to be the warmest day of the extended weekend, he added. London, particularly, could reach an extraordinary 35C, which would be almost 3C above the existing May record, reports the Mirror, reports the Mirror.
In Wales, the south east of the nation looks set to be the hottest with temperatures approaching 32C on Bank Holiday Monday.
Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, and Lincolnshire all look set to see 35C. Further north, record-breaking temperatures could still be achieved locally.
The north-west of England and areas of Scotland were forecast to hit up to 29C. “32.8C is the record we’ve got to beat,” said Mr Dale. “For this time of year, that’s staggering temperature. There are some models that are actually showing a lot more than that, 34C, 35C.
“If it reaches that, that’s just silly heights at this time of year. That’s got climate change written all over it. We’ll see as we get closer to whether those sort of silly temperatures will come, breaking the record and beyond come to be.”
The mercury could reach between 27C and 28C on Sunday, before another dramatic jump on Bank Holiday Monday. Tuesday could also turn out exceptionally warm, depending on wind direction and cloud cover, the meteorologist added.
Meanwhile, the Met Office also suggested the peak of the heatwave would arrive on Monday. High pressure was expected across most of the UK, meaning cooler regions could see even more sunshine and warmth.
It said: “For many areas, this will feel more like mid-summer than late May, with temperatures rising well above average and the potential for some notably high values as the weekend progresses.
“The bank holiday Monday is expected to bring the peak of the heat. Temperatures may reach around 33C across parts of southern and central England, with the potential to challenge or exceed existing late-May records.” An amber heat health alert has been put in place for the East of England, indicating a risk of significant disruption throughout health and social care services. Indoor temperatures may rise above the advised threshold, including in hospitals.
The alert was triggered from 2pm on Friday until 5pm on Wednesday, as confirmed by the UK Health Security Agency.
UK counties that could see 35C this bank holiday weekend
