Met Office give promising verdict on hot weather returning this week as highs of 24C forecast

A spell of generally settled weather is set to bring "more summer-like" conditions across much of the UK, particularly as we head towards the end of this week.

The Met Office has forecast that temperatures could soar to a balmy 24C in south-east England and reach 20C in Scotland by Friday. This anticipated warm spell follows a period where temperatures have lingered a few degrees below their seasonal average, impacting small businesses dependent on tourism or high street footfall at the onset of summer.

Meanwhile, Manchester will see temperatures improve significantly from Thursday, with temperatures reaching as high as 20C with sunny intervals throughout the afternoon. On Friday, temperatures could be even higher reaching between 19C and 21C throughout alongside similarly sunny conditions.

Read more: Met Office expert reveals exactly when UK could finally see warm weather in June

Oli Claydon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, commented: "As we progress through June, obviously the temperatures are going to generally increase on average anyway, but it will feel more summer-like, especially in the sunshine. The absence of wind over the next couple of days will help as well."

Southern England is expected to bask in brighter conditions for much of Monday and Tuesday, feeling "much warmer than it did over the weekend", while showers may still occur in northern regions, including Scotland and Northern Ireland.

A ridge of high pressure is likely to introduce cloud cover on Wednesday, which should thin out to allow more sunny spells across the nation, continuing into Thursday for southern areas, although light showers might persist in the north, according to the forecaster.

More unsettled weather will bring some rain at times throughout Friday, with temperatures in the south expected to "recovering" to around average, while remaining higher but more "subdued" further north. Highs of 24C are possible in south-east England on Monday, Thursday and Friday, with temperatures expected to reach the low twenties on other days.

For context, the average maximum temperature in June for the City of London is 21.3C. Temperatures across the north will remain in the high teens throughout the week, with peaks in isolated areas.

Edinburgh, for example, could see 20C on Friday. Mr Claydon, a Met Office forecaster, said: "It's not unusual to have cooler interludes or cooler starts to some months but this was a below-average start to June for sure, and temperatures (are) starting to return back towards what people would expect for this time of year."

Looking ahead to the weekend, Mr Claydon added that conditions will "remain fairly consistent" for now, with any showers on Saturday likely to be insignificant.