UK to roast in Iberian blast with England heatwave 'tantalisingly close'

UK weather maps turn red with 18C blast as expert reveals when an Iberian plume will hit. Warmer weather is 'tantalisingly close' with temperatures approaching the mid 20Cs later in May, a weather expert has said as the fifth month of the year approaches.

Jim Dale, founder and chief forecaster at British Weather Services, spoke out after fresh weather maps and charts, from WX Charts, using Met Desk data, show temperatures skyrocketing - and the mercury will nearly double by next week.

Mr Dale said: "May is showing warmer temperatures and that's not unexpected. It's overdue and later in spring so we would expect it anyway. But having said that, it's a north-south split, with it taking longer for the warmer weather to permeate north."

READ MORE Martin Lewis issues Barclaycard warning over 'worrying under-the-radar change'

Mr Dale said today: "It's tantalisingly close. It won't take much for it to jump across the Channel, but we'll have to watch from day to day. It hasn't been far away, but hasn't yet made it into the north west quadrant of Europe.

"But it's starting to bubble up, ready to march across the Channel and invade." He added: "We have to be a bit more patient and get through a ropey weekend to the other side. There's lots of spring and summer yet to come."

The Met Office outlook for the weekend reads: "Showers becoming more widespread through Friday and into Saturday, with longer spells of rain at times likely into Sunday. Temperatures slowly recovering to near average, and turning increasingly windy."

And looking ahead to next week, from April 28 onwards, the Met Office went on to say: "An uncertain start to the period though likely unsettled as a frontal system continues to push north across the UK, coupled with strong winds and possible coastal gales, this likely followed by a showery day with potential thunderstorms on Sunday and again on Monday."