Wales is in the grip of a heatwave that will see high temperatures for much of the week and into next week. Temperatures are expected to soar this week as the large areas of the country sizzle in potentially record-breaking temperatures.
Monday (July 11) could be the hottest day of the year so far with highs of 31°C, and while temperatures will dip slightly during the middle of the week, they are expected to rise again by the weekend.
High pressure continues to dominate the UK over the coming days, prolonging the warm spell for many. Heatwave criteria will be met in many parts of Wales.
Read more: How long the heatwave is likely to last and what temperatures we can expect this week.
Met Office weather maps are showing that Wrexham could be the warmest place in Wales today, but temperatures could drop by as much as 10 degrees from 29°C to 19°C on Wednesday and Thursday, before they climb again to the high 20s over the weekend.
The Monmouthshire town of Usk was the warmest in Wales on Sunday with a temperature of 27.9°C at the weather station there.
A Met Office spokesman said it was often the warmest place in Wales because of its location in the east of the country and because of its inland position.
He said: "Temperatures are likely to be high because of its proximity away from the Severn Estuary and being away from the coast. We are also seeing that eastern parts are more likely to see the warmer weather at the moment."
Wales weather presenter Derek Brockway shared a weather graph showing that the temperature in Dinas Powys, in the Vale of Glamorgan, could reach as high as 34°C next Monday (July 18). He also said that the forecast is for cooler, but still warm, temperatures in Builth Wells for the start of the Royal Welsh Show next Monday.
The Met Office says: "After a very warm and locally hot start to the week, temperatures dipping slightly as fresher Atlantic air arrives across the country from north and west on Tuesday. However, exceptionally hot air is likely to push north from France and Spain next weekend."
Here are some temperatures for different parts of Wales over the coming week:
Usk
Monday 28°C
Tuesday 24°C
Wednesday 23°C
Thursday 22°C
Friday 23°C
Saturday 26°C
Sunday 27°C
Dinas Powys
Monday 28°C
Tuesday 26°C
Wednesday 24°C
Thursday 24°C
Friday 24°C
Saturday 27°C
Sunday 32°C
Cardiff
Monday 28°C
Tuesday 25°C
Wednesday 22°C
Thursday 21°C
Friday 22°C
Saturday 25°C
Sunday 26°C
Swansea
Monday 26°C
Tuesday 21°C
Wednesday 21°C
Thursday 21°C
Friday 21°C
Saturday 24°C
Sunday 24°C
Builth Wells
Monday 28°C
Tuesday 26°C
Wednesday 22°C
Thursday 21°C
Friday 24°C
Saturday 26°C
Sunday 26°C
Wrexham
Monday 29°C
Tuesday 24°C
Wednesday 19°C
Thursday 19°C
Friday 21°C
Saturday 26°C
Sunday 28°C
The Welsh Ambulance Service is urging the public to take precautions ahead of the hot weather forecast for this week. They say that warm weather generates an increase in calls to people with breathing difficulties, and with 999 demand already high, and Covid-19 infections continuing to rise, the Trust is asking the public to take extra precautions to reduce pressure on the service.
Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Executive Director of Operations, said: “We had almost 2,000 calls to 999 on Sunday alone, which is roughly one call every minute. We expect demand to remain high with the increase in temperature, so we need the public’s help to ensure that the pressures we face are not exacerbated by the weather.
“Hot weather means your body has to work harder to keep its core temperature to normal levels, and this puts extra strain on your heart, lungs and kidneys. This means that you can be at greater risk if you have a pre-existing heart or respiratory condition, like asthma or angina.
“It’s really important to keep cool and stay hydrated, and if you’re out and about, please look after yourself and those with you.
“If you do fall victim to the sun, take one of our NHS 111 Wales symptom checkers for bites and stings, breathing difficulties, hay fever and sunburn – it’ll help you determine the best course of action.”
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