Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
World
Kieren Williams & Nicola Roy

Storm Oscar could bring 30C heatwave to UK this week, according to Met Office

A storm that's currently impacting parts of Portugal and the Canary Islands might have the opposite effect on the UK, bringing what could be the hottest day of 2023 so far.

Storm Oscar is responsible for several weather warnings currently in place for the popular holiday hotspots, as it's set to bring lashings of rain and 55mph winds to the regions.

The storm was named by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Metereología (AEMET), and tourists have been warned to take extra care and follow any local rules that have been put in place.

But for those of us still here in the UK, the impact of the storm could push temperatures up to a sweltering 30C later on this week.

Graham Madge, a spokesman for the Met Office told the Mirror: “Currently in the UK we have a very large area of high pressure which is very dense descending air, and that’s what’s giving us our largely fine conditions that we’re having at the moment.

“Storm Oscar will be working its way north and will push against that area of high pressure but its progress will be slowed.

“The high pressure is very dense air and it's difficult to budge it effectively.”

Temperatures across Scotland have been well above average for this time of the year (Getty Images)

He said it wouldn't make very quick - or close - progress to the UK, but could see more moisture reach our country.

However, the main effects of the storm will not be wind or rain here.

Mr Madge continued: “The main influence that Storm Oscar will have is not necessarily winds or rain. The way the area of low pressure is circulating means that as it draws closer to the UK, it will be pulling up a feed of warmer air coming in from continental Europe which will raise our temperatures.”

This is very different from the impact of a named storm in the Autumn, and the feed of warm, Iberian air could see temperatures “approach 28C, even a 29C by the end of this week”.

While temperatures are set to soar for some of us, certain areas of the UK won't see the heat be so intense.

The west coast has already seen temperatures greater than 25C, but areas in the east coast of the UK have been much cooler and cloudier.

The east-west split is down to how the air circulates around the high pressure that surrounds the country at the moment.

In the northern hemisphere, air circulates around a high pressure bloc in a clockwise direction, and with the centre of it north west of Scotland, it’s leading to a feed of air coming right around the weather system and then feeding into the UK coast.

But this is tracking for a prolonged period across the sea, so is carrying moisture and is cooler.

It’s this that’s leading to the cooler and cloudier mornings and days for the east of the UK, compared to the west, which has been much warmer.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.