UK weather: Britain to bathe in 23C temperatures and be hotter than Greece this week

Ellie Kemp
·2-min read
The Met Office's predictions for Saturday -Credit:The Met Office
The Met Office's predictions for Saturday -Credit:The Met Office


Temperatures are set to hit 23C in Britain this week, making it warmer than parts of Greece.

The mercury is set to stretch from the mid-teens to the early 20s from Friday, according to the latest weather maps from The Met Office. On Saturday, temperatures will peak at 23C in London, making it hotter than Santorini which will hit highs of just 19C.

Meanwhile Greater Manchester and the north west will see highs of 22C, Cardiff will peak at 20C and Plymouth and Belfast will hit 19C. Glasgow will hit 21C while the rest of Scotland will be slightly cooler, ranging from highs between 19C and 16C.

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The Met Office's long-range forecast from May 9 to May 18 reads: “There is a strong signal for high pressure across the UK at the start of this period, bringing a good deal of fine and dry weather for most areas, though with patchy mist and fog in places each morning.

“Northwestern parts of the UK are likely to be the exception to this, with more in the way of cloud and rain at times here. The high is likely to maintain its influence into the weekend before starting to weaken during the following week.

The heatwave threshold map - the darkest colour is 28C and the lightest is 25C. -Credit:The Met Office
The heatwave threshold map - the darkest colour is 28C and the lightest is 25C. -Credit:The Met Office

“So a continuation of fine weather through the weekend seems likely for most, before a return of less settled conditions during the following week. Temperatures are expected to be slightly above normal for early May, with some very warm days possible."

Following a dry and warm bank holiday weekend, temperatures will remain in the mid-to-high teens today (Tuesday May 7) with cloudy conditions forecast for most of the UK. Wednesday will be slightly warmer, with the mercury reaching 19C in Manchester and 20C in London.

Thursday will see the highest temperatures in our capital once again, stretching to 21C this time, while Friday will see highs of 22C.

A heatwave is 'an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.' The Met Office says a UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.

The threshold is 28C in London, 27C in parts of the south west, 26C in parts of the midlands and south west and 25C for the rest of the UK. So at the moment, the incoming warmer weather does not meet the criteria for a heatwave .

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