UK set for first 35C day of year and forecasters say 'it'll happen'

The UK could be set for its first 35C day of the year in an upcoming heatwave, weather experts have said. Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist for British Weather Services, said a 40C are not impossible, but not very likely, and 35C is far more achievable this summer.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: "I still expect to see significant high heat especially in July and August, possibly extreme if we get those African plumes. There is no reason not to expect it given record global temperatures in the air and oceans.

"But, it will take the highs and lows to be in the right position. Odds suggest it will happen, if only in spells. A stab in the dark, 35 C (but 40 would be exceptional, again)." The Met Office currently has two medium-to-long range forecasts on its website.

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One lasts from May 23 to June 1, while the second stretches from the beginning of the sixth month of the year right through to the final two weeks. It says: "Most likely an unsettled start to the period with western showers and eastern rain, potentially heavy in the northeast, before a transient settled spell late in the week.

"Early in the bank holiday weekend a band of rain, heavy at times moves in from the west, becoming weaker as it moves east becoming more showery in nature with scattered showers also following. Into the new week increasingly settled conditions more likely for most, though rain may threaten north-western areas early on whilst some southern or eastern areas occasionally less settled with showers more likely later in the period though there will be some sunshine between times, the best of this in south-western parts.

"Temperatures are likely to be a little above average, but some large spatial differences are likely." Its outlook for June adds: "Relatively muted signals for conditions to be markedly different from climatology through the first half of June.

"That said, both temperatures and rainfall are more-likely to be a little above average overall, with further rain or showers (possibly heavy/thundery at times) but also some spells of warm sunshine."