A heatwave is under way with temperatures expected to rise sharply from mid-May, according to the Met Office.
Meteorologist Marco Petagna said the weather could get ‘very warm’ later this month, with the south of England hotting up towards a peak of 23 degrees.
He said there’s a ‘small chance’ temperatures could rise into the mid-20s, which is a ‘brief’ such a heatwave.
It will be followed by a fine April, with average temperatures above normal for this month and only occasional showers.
A blog by the Met Office said Britain had about a third fewer rainfall than average for the month, and England and Wales were the driest countries in the UK.
Southern England was particularly dry with a mere 36 per cent of the average rainfall.
The hottest temperature recorded this year across the country came on Good Friday in London’s St James’ Park, where the Met Office recorded a maximum of 23.4 degrees.
‘High pressure was the main predictor of Britain’ s predicted weather in April 2022, putting us in a good situation of calm and stable weather,’ said Dr Mark McCarthy, of the National Climate Information Centre.
As I've been tweeting recently, plenty of warmth in store next couple weeks, particularly south UK
Low 20s in places likely
Warmest #temperature of yr so far is 23.4C St James's Pk 15.4.22 pic.twitter.com/qTj9VgvtdW
— Marco Petagna (@Petagna) May 3, 2022
As we move through May, there are already some asking when could we see a #heatwave
But what is the official definition of a heatwave?
Get the full picture, including the temperatures that must be met on three consecutive days in order for it to be an official heatwave 👇
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 3, 2022
