UK braced for first 31C heatwave of year as weather maps burn bright red

UK weather maps have scorched red ahead of a sizzling first 31C day of the year. According to WX Charts, which publishes daily weather maps and charts, temperatures could reach over 30c in London and swathes of the southon Sunday, June 16.

Birmingham and the south coast will also experience balmy conditions as the 30C threshold looks set to be breached for the first time this summer. Despite the promising reports from Met Desk and WX Charts, the Met Office remains unconvinced.

In an update from June 14 to early July, it says: "Blustery showers continuing across the north of the country over the weekend, most frequent in the northwest, but may tend to ease compared to preceding days.

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"Showers possible across southern areas but often dry with variable cloud and sunny spells. Likely remaining changeable across the north through following week and into mid-June with showers or longer spells of rain at times but also some drier interludes.

"Whilst showers remain possible in the south, there should continue to be a good deal of dry weather here. Small chance of a more widely settled spell developing for a time next week. Rather cool at the start of the period, temperatures probably slowly recovering back to around average with an increasing chance of some warmer spells, especially across the south."

Its June 17 to July 1 forecast adds: "There is a slight shift of the most favoured regime from more unsettled to settled conditions through this period, though by relatively small margins, this linked to a slight trend towards drier and warmer conditions especially in the south as the period progresses.

"On balance, it is probable that a continuation of variable, slow moving weather patterns are likely through much of June, with high pressure becoming more dominant from the west late on. Temperatures are most likely to be around or above normal."