UK weather forecast – Met Office heatwave news in YOUR area as Britain hotter than Majorca this weekend

Tonight’s weather

Scotland and Northern Ireland will have late sunny spells and a chance of showers during the evening.

Rain will continue to sink southwards across Wales and England and will clear southwards overnight to reveal clear spells and variable amounts of cloud cover.

There is also a chance of showers.

‘Saturday is looking like a fine day’

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “There will be a lot of dry and bright weather around this weekend, with some warmth in addition to that.”

He added that: “Not a great amount of rain across southern parts of the UK into the start of the weekend.

“High pressure is building in instead and that will lead to a lot of dry and bright weather across Saturday and into Sunday, and it will increasingly turn warmer once again.

“For much of the UK, Saturday is looking like a fine day.

“Decent spells on sunshine for many, though not for all, but sunshine and light winds will mean a pleasant feel for things with temperatures widely at 20C or just above 20C.

“Sunday is looking similar with a lot of dry and fine weather, and then turning increasingly warm through next week.”

Weekend weather

The warm weather will continue into the weekend and the new working week.

Forecasters reckon Brits are in for highs of 19C on Saturday, rising to 20C on Sunday.

Next week is also shaping up to be warm and summery, with temperatures reaching 23C.

Bookies on May being the hottest ever

Bookies are slashing the odds on this month becoming the hottest May ever.

“We go just 5-4 now on this May to be the warmest we have ever had in the UK, the odds tumbling at the same speed as temperatures are rising,” said Harry Aitkenhead of Coral.

“It’s going to be a scorching couple of weeks.”

The UK’s hottest day so far this year was Good Friday, when 23.4C was recorded in St James’s Park in central London.

It comes after a pleasant April that has seen average maximum temperatures above normal for the month, with little rain.

Mid-May warmth

Mid-May is expected to be particularly cheerful, with “very warm” sunshine on the way and highs of around 23C.

And by the time the Jubilee bank holiday rolls around, it could be a scorching 30C.

“Temperatures are several degrees above where they should be at this time of year,” said meteorologist Marco Petagna.

Brits to bask in 20C sizzler ahead of weekend warmer

BRITS will bask in a sizzling mini heatwave over the coming days – before temperatures rise again next week.

Met Office forecaster Simon Patridge said: “There’s a warm spell in store for many, but don’t expect the wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies we saw in April.”

The weekend is also shaping up to be warm and dry, with 18C expected on Saturday and 20C on Sunday.

But things will only get better after that, with Mediterranean-style weather on the way later this month.

Weather outlook for Saturday to Monday

The majority of the UK will see warm temperatures over the weekend with the glorious weather set to least into early next week.

The Met Office says: “Southern parts will see a good deal of dry weather, and here it will be rather warm.

“The northwest likely cloudier and cooler with rain at times, especially from Sunday.”

Nasa releases stunning clip of X-class solar flare

NASA has revealed stunning footage of the strongest type of solar flare that burst from the Sun on May 3.

It’s the second time this week that this type of powerful solar flare has been recorded and the US space agency has labelled the Sun’s recent activity as “dramatic”.

Mid-May to be ‘very warm’

Mid-May is expected to be particularly cheerful, with “very warm” sunshine on the way and highs of around 23C.

And by the time the Jubilee bank holiday rolls around, it could be a scorching 30C.

“Temperatures are several degrees above where they should be at this time of year,” said meteorologist Marco Petagna.

Bookies are slashing the odds on this month becoming the hottest May ever.

What has the hottest day so far been?

The UK’s hottest day so far this year was Good Friday, when 23.4C was recorded in St James’s Park in central London.

It comes after a pleasant April that has seen average maximum temperatures above normal for the month, with little rain.

The UK had around a third less rainfall than is usually expected for the month, forecasters say.

England and Wales were the driest UK nations.

Radap map shows rain and cloud moving north-east

Not everywhere is being treated to sun and warmth this morning.

In fact, the latest Met Office radar map shows rain & cloud moving south and east from Northern Ireland and western Scotland.

The northwest bore the brunt of the wet and miserable weather earlier this morning.

Mid-May long range forecast

Largely cloudy across much of the northwest of the UK, with a few showers, the odd one of which may turn heavier.

However, some brighter or sunny spells also possible at times.

Largely fine and dry for southern and eastern areas with some sunny spells and feeling rather warm to very warm at times.

Areas of low cloud and fog still possible around some coasts, most likely in the south and west, where it may feel cooler.

Windy across the north, with temperatures here remaining close to average, but winds light or moderate elsewhere.

Towards the end of the period, a general change to lower pressure – especially across the north – may bring more unsettled conditions with spells of rain or showers for most.

Hotter than normal temperatures ahead

The Met Office is also forecasting hotter-than-normal temperatures across the three months from April to the end of June.

Warmer-than-usual average temperatures are almost 10 times more likely than much-cooler conditions, at 45 per cent versus five per cent, Met Office briefings to councils and businesses reveal.

The long-range outlook over the period states: “Chances of hot weather and heatwaves are increased compared to average, especially later in the period.

“There is an increase in the likelihood of warmer-than-average conditions over the three months.”

Great British sizzler forecast for Queen’s Jubilee

Forecasters are predicting a 30C sizzler for the Queen’s Jubilee, with temperatures potentially reaching highs of 30C.

Heatwave conditions will also hit in the run up to the four-day Bank Holiday bonanza, helping sun-starved Brits celebrate the Queen’s mighty achievement in style.

Weather maps show the UK burning a deep orange over the celebratory period – and meteorologists reckon the mercury could top 30C in some parts.

Londoners in for treat today

Early morning fog patches soon clearing, leaving a dry and warm day, with sunny spells in London.

Cloud increasing from the northwest through the afternoon, bringing patchy rain for the evening with maximum temperatures of 22 °C.

What has the hottest day so far been?

The UK’s hottest day so far this year was Good Friday, when 23.4C was recorded in St James’s Park in central London.

It comes after a pleasant April that has seen average maximum temperatures above normal for the month, with little rain.

The UK had around a third less rainfall than is usually expected for the month, forecasters say.

England and Wales were the driest UK nations.

Met Office predicts weather to warm up by weekend

Every cloud has a silver lining and the Met Office reckon the weather is likely to warm up by the weekend.

Dr Mark McCarthy, of the National Climate Information Centre, said April’s official figures will be announced tomorrow.

He said: “What we’ve seen in April is a long period of time with the UK under the influence of high pressure, bringing calm and settled weather, especially in the south.

“Early in the month, the Azores High dominated the weather in the south, with low-pressure systems continuing to make some progress in northern areas.

“Later in the month high-pressure remained dominant, but this time centred more towards Scandinavia or Iceland, and over the UK itself.

“What this adds up to is a dry theme for the month, with scattered showers making limited impacts in northern areas.”

‘Extreme heat can pop up at short notice’

A forecaster said: “Temperatures are expected to be close to or above normal throughout the period to May 13, with some bright weather.

“May 13 to 27 has temperatures most likely above normal for all areas, with an increased chance of warm spells.

“The South looks drier, with showers possible in the North.”

But ex-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond of weathertrending said: “There’ll be a warming trend ahead – and extreme heat can crop up at short notice.”

Hotter than normal temperatures ahead

The Met Office is also forecasting hotter-than-normal temperatures across the three months from April to the end of June.

Warmer-than-usual average temperatures are almost 10 times more likely than much-cooler conditions, at 45 per cent versus five per cent, Met Office briefings to councils and businesses reveal.

The long-range outlook over the period states: “Chances of hot weather and heatwaves are increased compared to average, especially later in the period.

“There is an increase in the likelihood of warmer-than-average conditions over the three months.”

Great British sizzler forecast for Queen’s Jubilee

Forecasters are predicting a 30C sizzler for the Queen’s Jubilee, with temperatures potentially reaching highs of 30C.

Heatwave conditions will also hit in the run up to the four-day Bank Holiday bonanza, helping sun-starved Brits celebrate the Queen’s mighty achievement in style.

Weather maps show the UK burning a deep orange over the celebratory period – and meteorologists reckon the mercury could top 30C in some parts.

In pictures: Stunning sunrise of the City of London

Brits are set to see temperatures rise to 21C from today, following a midweek blast of wintry weather and torrential showers.

The eye-catching image below shows the sun rising behind skyscrapers and offices in the City of London financial district.

Forecasters say the lion’s share of the warm weather will be seen in London and the south-east and is set to continue over the weekend.