Temperatures may have spiked in Westminister this week, but it’s about to get much hotter as a week-long heatwave hits the UK.
London will hit a blistering 30° next week as a prolonged spell of warm and sunny weather sweeps across the country.
Southern and central England will have the highest temperatures along with Wales, although the vast majority of the UK is expected to record above average temperatures for the time of year.
The far north west of the UK is expected to get cooler and more cloudy, but outside the area heat will start to build from Saturday.
In London, Friday will be 28° and lots of sunshine, a pattern that will repeat in the coming days.
Temperatures start to rise from the start of the week, reaching 28° on Monday, 29° on Tuesday and 30° on Wednesday.
The Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist said: ‘We are at the beginning of a stretch of warm weather for much of England and Wales, which could last much of next week.
“In the short term, many can expect temperatures of mid to high 20 degrees Celsius over the weekend and around 30 degrees Celsius early next week.
“Next week will remain warm for the time of year for most of the week, but also dry and sunny.”
In anticipation of rising temperatures, the Met Office has issued a level two heat warning for southern and eastern areas.
It has warned that the heat wave criteria will be met this weekend and next week.
About the latest 10-day forecast, Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “There is good model certainty that we will see a spike in temperatures early next week, but there is a possible scenario where temperatures will rise even higher by the end of next week. †
“A more likely scenario is that temperatures will return to something similar to Monday and Tuesday, and there is also a chance that the temperature will be much closer to the average.”
In light of the warm weather, the British Red Cross has warned that while the heat is pleasant for some, it can be dangerous for others.
Matthew Killick, director of crisis response and community resilience for the chairman, said: “We are all looking forward to enjoying some warm weather this summer, but it is important to remember that heat can be very dangerous, especially for children, older people and those with underlying health conditions.
“Climate change means we are experiencing longer and more intense heat waves, but a worrying number of people are unaware of the risks of warm weather.
“There were more than 2,500 additional deaths in England in the summer of 2020 alone and unfortunately it is predicted that the number of heat-related deaths in the UK could triple within 30 years.”
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