UK Forecast to Reach 30C Over Bank Holiday Weekend

Temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 30C in parts of the UK over the bank holiday weekend. The UK Health Security Agency has issued heat health alerts for much of the Midlands and south-east England from 09:00 on Friday 22 May until 17:00 on Wednesday 27 May.

The mercury is expected to increase each day through the remainder of the week. If 30C is recorded before Monday, it will mark the earliest date this temperature has been reached in the UK since 1952.

A heatwave is defined by the Met Office as at least three consecutive days above county-specific thresholds. Greater London uses a 28C threshold while Northern Ireland and Scotland use 25C. Areas including London and the south Midlands are most likely to meet the heatwave definition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Even where a heatwave is not expected, most places will see temperatures between 20C and 26C. 6C recorded at Kew Gardens on 8 April.

The warmer air is arriving after a shift in wind direction.

The jet stream is moving north, allowing southerly winds to draw hot air from southern Europe and north Africa. This follows a period of cold northerly winds last week. Rain is expected to ease after recent downpours. Wednesday may bring scattered showers with temperatures around 21C. Most of England and Wales are forecast to stay dry on Thursday and Friday.