Deputy Chief Forecaster, Greg Wolverson, said: “A very warm period of weather will develop through the weekend and into next week for much of the UK.   

“High pressure will be in charge of the UK’s weather over the bank holiday weekend and this should bring fine and settled conditions to most areas. The exception will be parts of northwestern Scotland where it will be cooler and cloudier with some rain at times. There is also a small risk of some thunder in the south late on Friday into Saturday." 

Temperatures are expected to peak at around 28°C or 29°C over the weekend in England and Wales, with a good chance of reaching 30°C in the southeast.   

Any temperature above 29.4°C will be the highest May temperature recorded in the UK since 2012, whilst the all-time May record stands at 32.8°C.  

Greg Wolverson said: “Heatwave thresholds - defined as three consecutive days at or above a set temperature - are likely to be reached in parts of the UK from Sunday, most likely in southeastern England. Into next week, these conditions are expected to become more widespread, extending across central and western England and into parts of Wales, as temperatures remain well above average.” 

You can find information on heatwave thresholds here. 

Ahead of the weekend, some unsettled spells are forecast, especially in northern and western areas, but conditions will become more settled everywhere from Friday. 

RAC breakdown spokesperson Harriet Hernando said: “With the weather set to transition from cold to hot as the bank holiday approaches, we’re going to see a lot more traffic on the roads - and with that comes the risk of many more vehicles breaking down in the heat.  Before setting out on a long journey, motorists should make sure that their car is summer-ready. One of the biggest risks is an increase in cars overheating, especially when sat in queues of traffic with no shade.” 

Nick Giles OBE, MD Leisure, Ordnance Survey commented: “With a long weekend looming, and warm weather forecast, it seems the perfect opportunity to set out on an adventure on foot - equipped for the Great British weather, of course.  

“At OS, we want to make the outdoors enjoyable, accessible and safe. I would urge anyone going on an adventure to plan ahead, including checking weather forecasts, their kit, food and drink, and please take a map or the OS Maps app.” 

More advice on enjoying the warmer weather safely, from the Met Office and trusted partner organisations, is available on the WeatherReady pages of the Met Office website. There’s also more information on how to stay safe in the sunshine and how UV impacts this. 

Huge sunshine on the horizon