London is set to sizzle this week with a heatwave forecast to bring scorching temperatures reaching the low-thirties.
The capital’s hot-spell would make it warmer than the likes of Ibiza and the Algarve, leading to wildfire warnings from emergency services.
The city will bake in highs of 29C (84F) on Thursday and 31C (88F) on Friday, the Met Office has said.
A yellow heat warning has been issued for London and most of England, with the UK Health and Security Agency warning that the elderly and vulnerable people could be at risk.
Conditions are predicted to reach its peak on Saturday, which is set to be the hottest day of the year so far.
London is expected to simmer just below or above 32C (90F) on Saturday, surpassing the 29C (84F) recorded at Kew Gardens on May 1.
This means that London will be warmer on Saturday than holiday hotspots, including Portugal's Algarve region and the Spanish party island of Ibiza, which are both set to record 29C (84F).
In London, a heatwave is triggered when a location records at least three consecutive days where the daily maximum temperature meets or exceeds 28C (82F).
Matthew Lehnert, the Met Office’s Chief Meteorologist, said: “An area of high pressure over southern England will build across a larger part of the UK through midweek. Ahead of this, wet and windy weather will affect the far northwest later today and into Tuesday morning. It will remain very warm across parts of the south and east.”
Charlie Pugsley, deputy commissioner for operational policy, prevention and protection at the London Fire Brigade, issued caution over potential wildfires following one of the driest springs on record.
He said: “Extended periods of hot and dry weather can greatly increase the risk of a grass fire, and particularly when that grass is tinder dry the spread of fire can be rapid.
“We have seen examples of this in London as well as more recently worldwide, such as in California and South Korea.”
Last Saturday, London saw temperatures rise to 24C (75F) after a band of thunderstorms swept south-east and eastern England, bringing more than 30,000 lightning strikes.
