Brits, now’s the time to get some ice lollies in the freezer. The end of this week will almost certainly see the hottest day of the year in the UK so far, with temperatures set to hit 32C in areas of south-east England on Friday.
While 32C is the official forecast, the Met Office has warned that temperatures could even reach the mid-30s. In any case, it’ll most likely be the warmest day of 2022 so far and beat the current record of 27.5C, which was recorded at Heathrow on May 17.
So could this weekend’s weather actually amount to a heatwave? Well, maybe. The Met Office defines a heatwave as ‘at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold’. The threshold for much of the south-east is 27C, so a heatwave could certainly be on the cards.
What’s more, this could be just one of many heatwaves to hit the UK this summer. Back in March the Met Office issued a warning saying that, thanks to climate change, bouts of hot weather are becoming much more likely.
A lot of us could be in for a sweaty weekend, so you know what to do: lather up in sunscreen, avoid direct sun in the heat of the day, keep hydrated – and enjoy the balmy weather!
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