Sunshine over clouds in an orange sky during a heatwave.

Met Office weather: Hottest week of the year so far on the way

With this week's warm weather set to continue, temperatures could reach as high as 29°C, with a slim chance of hitting 30°C

Wednesday will bring sunny and very warm conditions to England, Wales, and southern Scotland. Temperatures are expected to soar, with highs ranging from 24-26°C and potentially reaching 27-28°C in central, southern, and eastern parts of the UK. Northern Ireland and southern Scotland will also enjoy warm weather, with temperatures between 21-23°C, locally reaching up to 24°C. However, far northern and northwestern Scotland will experience cloudier conditions with light rain and drizzle likely later in the day. Showers may develop during the afternoon across central and northern Scotland as well as Northern Ireland, accompanied by breezier conditions and average temperatures.

Wednesday evening will see showers in central and northern Scotland and Northern Ireland fading, but thickening cloud and outbreaks of rain and drizzle in the far northwest moving slowly southeast. Elsewhere, the night will be dry and clear, with temperatures contrasting between chilly conditions in some low-lying rural areas and mild weather over and to the lee of hills and mountains.

READ MORE: What is UV radiation and how does it affect your health?

Thursday will start with a band of cloud and patchy rain or showers across southern Scotland and Northern Ireland, moving southward with a low risk of heavy showers during the afternoon. Northern areas will experience clear and sunny spells with isolated showers, while southern regions will remain dry and clear initially, but cloud cover will increase later in the day. There is a small risk of isolated heavy showers or thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. Winds will be light to moderate, becoming fresh along coasts in the far north later.

Temperatures will vary from very warm across England and Wales to near normal in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The maximum temperature for Thursday is expected to reach 29°C, with a low probability of hitting 30°C, particularly in a corridor stretching from west of London to Bristol. There is a small chance of achieving a heatwave in some locations, most likely in northern England or parts of Wales where thresholds are lowest.

Aidan McGivern, Met Office presenter and meteorologist, said: “It is easily going to be the hottest week of the year so far in the UK. Wednesday will be cool in some places but, quite quickly through the day, temperatures will climb and we're expecting pretty much cloud-free skies across the country except for the north of Scotland where there will be some patchy cloud. There’s a chance of a shower for parts of central Scotland but otherwise it's simply a sunny day and top temperature expected to be 27°C.

“So, as we go into Thursday, the first day of May, it's going to be a very warm one. We could see overnight temperatures of 15°C or 16°C as the minimum in some urban areas. A very warm start to the day, an uncomfortable night for sleeping. And then those temperatures having had a head start will climb even further compared with the last day of April. Widely into the mid to high 20s across England and Wales with a max temp most likely somewhere between Bristol and London of 29°C.”

Keep up to date with weather warnings, and find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.

Sunny weather