The United Kingdom may break heat records for the start of May, with temperatures expected to reach 29C in south-east England on Thursday 1 May, making it the hottest start to May on record. This surpasses the previous record of 27.4C set in 1990 at Lossiemouth. Temperatures this week have been significantly higher than the average for this time of year, with a peak in heat expected on Thursday.
Across the UK, warm weather has been experienced, with temperatures reaching the low to mid-twenties in many areas on Wednesday. The warmest temperatures were recorded in south-east England, reaching as high as 27C in Wisley. Scotland also experienced its highest April temperature since 2019, with temperatures hitting 24.4C in Aboyne. In Wales, Wednesday was the second hottest April day on record, while Northern Ireland saw its second hottest April day as well.
The high temperatures can be attributed to a large area of high pressure situated over the UK, which has blocked rain-bearing low-pressure systems from the mid-Atlantic. This has led to settled and dry weather across the country. Additionally, the wind direction from the south or south-easterly has brought warm air from north Africa and the Mediterranean. With strong sunshine, temperatures have been gradually increasing over the last few days.
As temperatures start to gradually fall after Thursday’s peak, the bank holiday weekend is expected to see a decrease in temperatures to around average levels by Monday. While Friday will still be warm with temperatures in the high teens to low twenties for most, the rest of the weekend is forecasted to be dry with some sunny spells. Cloudier conditions are expected in northern Scotland on Saturday, with temperatures ranging from 11-13C, while elsewhere temperatures will be mostly 16-22C. Sunday and Bank holiday Monday will see similar conditions with highs of 13-17C and 14-17C respectively.
The warm weather in the UK this week has been highlighted by Climate Central as being at least five times more likely due to human-induced climate change. Blocked weather patterns, like the one currently over the UK, can lead to more extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts in the spring and summer. However, these patterns can also bring about excessive rainfall and cold air in the winter, depending on their positioning
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