Just for a change, it’s a sunny bank holiday! Britain is set to bask in 24C heat this weekend as Sunday could be the hottest day of the year so far
- Forecasters say ‘pleasant’ conditions are expected with warm temperatures
Bank holidays can normally be relied upon for miserable weather – but you can leave the brolly at home when planning for the coming weekend.
Instead of the usual cloud and rain, forecasters say ‘very pleasant’ conditions are expected with sunshine and warm temperatures, which are set to continue towards the middle of next week.
According to the upbeat predictions, Sunday could even turn out to be the hottest day of the year so far, with a maximum of 24C (75F) expected, warmer than Athens.
Grahame Madge, Meteorological Office spokesman, said: ‘The conditions are set fair for much of the UK up to and including the bank holiday weekend.
‘The area of high pressure that has brought fine conditions is set to continue until at least the middle of next week.
Instead of the usual cloud and rain, forecasters say ‘very pleasant’ conditions are expected with sunshine and warm temperatures (Pictured: Holidaymakers in Dorset last Sunday)
‘Day by day the extent of cloud may vary, which will have an effect on local temperature, but overall we can expect a very pleasant period ahead.
‘Temperatures will likely be in the range of high teens and low 20s Celsius (high 60s to low 70s Fahrenheit) for many parts.’
But the sunshine has created tinder-dry conditions in rural areas, with a seventh fire this year breaking out on an area of Pennine moorland which is an important wildlife habitat.
Firefighters were still in attendance on Marsden Moor yesterday WEDS after a fire which started on Monday and engulfed almost a square mile of countryside.
Adrian Bairstow, of West Yorkshire Fire Service, said: ‘The fire spread so quickly because the dry grass burns easily and with this warm weather we know there is no rain coming.
‘This is the seventh fire on Marsden Moor so far this year and we do our best each time to protect this Site of Special Scientific Interest, famous for its rare ground-nesting birds and blanket peat bogs which are affected by these fires.
‘Investigations will be taking place into the cause.’
The weather comes as a welcome contrast to chilly and damp conditions which have dominated this spring.
Temperatures are also predicted to hit 25C on Thursday in some parts of the UK – hotter than Morocco. Pictured are people enjoying the River Cam in Cambridge on Sunday
The previous warmest day of the year was last Sunday (May 21), when 23.3C (73.9F) was recorded at Porthmadog, North Wales.
The warmest temperatures over the coming days are likely to be in sheltered parts of the West Midlands or eastern Wales.
An onshore breeze is expected to keep south-eastern areas cooler but dry, bright weather is still expected.
Forecasters said there will be no ‘African plume’ heatwave any time soon, after reports that scorching temperatures were expected across the country before the end of May.
For warm weather to be classed as a heatwave, it has to persist for at least three days and be much hotter than expected for the time of year.
A Met Office spokesperson said that while temperatures are heating up, they are not outside of what is expected for late spring and early summer.
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