Baking temperatures set for Coventry as hottest day of the year awaits

A Saharan plume is set to hit the UK as the hottest day of the year so far awaits - and Coventry is set to benefit. WXCharts maps show the country basking in 23C temperatures on May 23, with the Midlands, North East, and Yorkshire to be the hottest areas in the UK.

BirminghamLive reported that maps and charts show London around 22C, while Northern Ireland experiences 23C highs, as the south of the country misses out. James Madden, from Exacta Weather, said: "Once again, the outlook is nowhere near as dire or severe as third-party forecasts were repeatedly indicating for this week over the past several days, and despite some rain in the forecast and the developing risk of thundery showers at times, it will now be much more settled in between any unsettled weather and feel quite warm and summery in any developing sunshine.

"Our forecasts also concisely covered this kind of scenario for the upcoming week, despite much different forecast projections from elsewhere. Additionally, our longer-term projections are also showing some pretty decent and warm weather persisting as the more dominant feature from in and around next weekend and into the final third of May for many parts of the country, and there is a higher than normal risk that this will transition into periods of warm to very hot weather within this developing period that could easily see temperatures reaching or surpassing the 30C mark for the first time this year."

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Looking ahead to tonight, the Met Office says: "Any showers easing during the evening to leave a dry night with occasional clear spells and some low cloud. Another mild night for the middle of May." Its outlook for Wednesday continues: "Any low cloud breaking then a mixture of bright or sunny spells and scattered showers, perhaps with longer spells of rain later. Feeling warm in any sunshine, with light winds."

The outlook for Thursday to Saturday adds: "Changeable with sunny spells and scattered showers. Showers may be heavy at times. Still warm where you catch the sunshine, though with temperatures generally close to average."

The Met Office outlook for Coventry

Wednesday:

Patchy rain across southwest Scotland, northern, eastern and some central parts of England, turning locally heavy. Warm spells of sunshine elsewhere, but with a few showers, these also locally heavy.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Warm sunshine but with scattered showers. A risk of heavy, thundery downpours. Northern areas perhaps becoming mostly fine by Saturday. Cooler, with low cloud affecting North Sea coasts at times.

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