A prolonged heatwave is set to start today as a surge of warmth from the Azores will push temperatures to 29°C in Wales by Tuesday - and it could get even warmer next weekend. The Met Office says that high pressure will dominate the UK over the coming days, bringing many a prolonged warm spell.
The forecasting service says the highest temperatures are expected in Wales, southern and central England,
BBC Wales weather presenter Derek Brockway says: "High pressure is going to bring several days of fine and settled weather. Plenty of sunshine and rising temperatures. Very warm or hot. 29°C in Cardiff next Tuesday. Temperatures may drop a little but may rise again later next week although the forecast is more uncertain by then."
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Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Oliver said: “We’re at the start of a stretch of warm weather for much of England and Wales, that could last for much of next week. In the short term, many can expect temperatures in the mid to high 20s Celsius over the weekend, and then in the low 30s Celsius during the start of next week. Much of next week will remain warm for the time of year as well as dry and sunny.”
If the heatwave lasts for more than a week it will become the longest since 2018 when there was a 15-day heatwave and the Met Office says there are some indications of more "extreme temperatures" by the end of next week.
They say the warm spell will likely continue through much of next week and the following weekend, especially across southern areas.
A spokesman said: "Looking this far ahead always brings some uncertainty and so the exact temperatures are yet to be determined. However, there is potential for temperatures to climb higher than over the coming days."
Speaking on the latest Met Office 10-day trend Met Office meteorologist and presenter Alex Deakin said: “There's good model certainty that we’ll see a peak in temperatures in the early part of next week but there’s one possible scenario where temperatures get even higher late next week. A more likely scenario is that temperatures return to something similar to Monday and Tuesday and there’s also a chance temperatures could drop much closer to average.”
Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Oliver added: “There are some runs, or solutions, that allow more extreme temperatures to develop into next weekend, which is something we will be monitoring closely over the coming days and adding more detail around into the new week.”
Matthew Killick, Director of Crisis Response and Community Resilience, British Red Cross, said: “We’re all looking forward to enjoying some warm weather this summer, but it’s important to remember that heat can be very dangerous, especially for children, older people and those with underlying health conditions.
“Climate change means we’re experiencing longer and more intense heatwaves, but a worrying number of people aren’t aware of the risks around hot weather. In England alone there were more than 2,500 excess deaths in the summer of 2020, and unfortunately it’s predicted that heat-related deaths in the UK could treble within 30 years.”
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