Met Office verdict on whether Gloucestershire will share in Saharan 'heatwave'

Brits are bracing for a 'splendid' Saharan 'heatwave' with three specific regions in England anticipated to bear the brunt of the higher temperatures - but don't expect to be sizzling in Gloucestershire. The nation is set for yet another sunny spell following last week's short-lived warmer weather, but the mercury is set to hit highs of just 14C over the weekend in our county.

The locations predicted to soak up the most sun include parts South West, Midlands, and South Wales as temperatures could soar by 20C in some areas. This bout of warmth can be attributed to a wave of hot air from Europe sweeping across the UK, as suggested by data from InMeteo and WX Charts, which makes use of Met Desk data, maps, and charts.

In a report by Birmingham Live, Jo Farrow, a forecaster at Netweather broke it down: "Warm air from the Sahara was transported over Iberia towards southern France around an area of high pressure. This proved exceptional for the beginning of April with an average temperature in France (average of temperatures over 30 reference stations) reaching 17.9C, which had never happened before April 15 in France."

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She added that: "Last week, warm air from Africa flowed up through Spain and France reaching parts of Britain. North London saw 21.5C on Friday 12th. Saturday 13th saw the highest UK temperature of the year, so far, near Chelmsford in Essex with 21.8C."

UK weather maps and charts show the country turning hues of orange, black, yellow and red as the glorious weather graces us from Europe. According to the Met Office, the outlook for the upcoming weekend is mainly dry with sunny periods on Saturday and cloudier climates on Sunday.

In Gloucestershire, there could be a fair amount of sun around on Friday with highs of 14C, the Met Office says. Saturday could see highs of around 13C with some rain around.

Met Office 5-day forecast for the South West

Today: A chilly but bright start this morning with plenty of sunshine. Turning somewhat cloudier through this afternoon but many places remaining bright with some sunshine at times. Lighter winds than of late and feeling a bit warmer. Maximum temperature 13C.

Tonight: Generally turning cloudier this evening and overnight with the odd shower, but clear spells are still likely at times. Turning chilly but not as cold as last night. Minimum temperature 4C.

Friday: A few showers are possible during the morning. Otherwise a fairly bright day with broken cloud and sunny intervals, these becoming more prolonged later. A brisk northwesterly breeze. Maximum temperature 14C.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday: A dry weekend for most with sunny periods on Saturday, then generally cloudier on Sunday. Isolated showers on Monday. Winds easing and feeling a bit warmer, though still chilly overnight.