Temperatures to hit 31C as six-day heat health alert issued for bank holiday
Most of England and Wales, as well as parts of Scotland, will see above average temperatures with the hottest weather set to be concentrated in the south east of England
The UK is set to be hotter than Majorca over the bank holiday weekend with parts of London and the South East forecast to swelter in 31C heat.
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Temperatures in London could soar to 31C on Sunday 24 May and Monday 25 May, before dipping slightly to 30C on Tuesday, 26 May, making a heatwave declaration likely.
The threshold for a heatwave in London is three days of temperatures exceeding 28C - although this varies across the country and by time of year.
Cool temperatures are expected on Wednesday and Thursday, before climbing to 27C on Friday and reaching 29C on Saturday as Britain enters the second May bank holiday weekend, according to the Met Office.
A heatwave in the capital would be possible by Sunday, Met Office operational meteorologist Niamh Murray said.
Read more: Coldest May night in five years recorded with more unsettled weather on way
Read more: Mini heatwave set to hit UK on bank holiday weekend with 'highs of 29C'
The sunny spell will stick around after the weekend, with highs of 26C or 27C forecast on Wednesday and Thursday.
Heat health alerts have been declared for the Midlands and the South East of England ahead of the warm blast.
The warning comes into effect at 9am on Friday, 22 May and remains in force until 5pm on Wednesday 27 May.
The UK Health Security Agency has put out a yellow alert, warning that vulnerable people face an increased risk to life and that there is likely to be an increased use of healthcare services. There is also an increased risk of indoor environments becoming extremely warm.
Ms Murray said: “If temperatures hold up on Saturday, we are expected to keep high pressure around into at least the first half of next week, so there is a potential that we may see those thresholds reached by the time we get to Sunday but… it’s not 100% certain on that yet.”
There is also a greater likelihood of indoor environments becoming very warm.
The contrast with the recent cool spell will make the weekend feel much warmer, she added.
Most of England and Wales, as well as parts of Scotland, will see above average temperatures.
The east coast could see mid to high 20Cs, while Wales and western parts of the north of England may reach 25C.
The hottest weather will be in the south-east, particularly around London, and potentially towards East Anglia.
UK-wide highs for this time of year are 15.5C and recent temperatures have peaked at about 14C.
The hottest day of the year so far was 26.6C in Kew Gardens, west London, on April 8.
Thursday will start cloudy for everybody with some rain in Wales and parts of north-west England.
The weather will brighten for many by the afternoon as the clouds break up, particularly in the south.