After a period of unsettled and unseasonably mild weather, the Met Office has issued a health alert for parts of England this week, with temperatures expected to reach at least 30°C from Thursday.
The burst of hot weather is the result of warm air blowing north from Europe, and may bring highs of 34ºC-37ºC in some areas of the south. The mini-heatwave will arrive after a period of windy weather over the next two days, thanks to a low-pressure system from the Atlantic, but the Met Office is currently unsure how long the hot weather will last.
Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, Frank Saunders, said: “Most of us will see a spell of warm, summery weather later this week, with hot weather developing across southern parts of the UK. from Thursday temperatures will be in the low-to mid-20s for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales but it will be much warmer across southern and central areas.”
Adding to this, Deputy Chief Meteorologist, David Oliver warned that the hot weather means there is an increased risk of storms: “High temperatures could trigger some thunderstorms across southern parts of the UK over the weekend, but for most there will be plenty of dry and sunny weather.”