From Wednesday it is set to become increasingly warm in Wales as high pressure builds. Weather forecasters from the Met Office have revealed it could reach 33°C on Friday (June 17) as a heatwave in other parts of Europe spreads to England and Wales.
The spell of warm weather comes as air from the current heatwave in Spain, where temperatures reached a shocking 43°C at the weekend. Officials there have issued severe heat warnings for the next few days as the unusually hot weather continues to take its toll. France has also seen some very high temperatures this week.
In the UK, the Met Office says that it will become increasingly warm in the south from Wednesday as high pressure builds. This will bring settled conditions allowing temperatures to build day-on-day and for it to become warm, or even hot, for a time by Friday.
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Welsh forecaster Derek Brockway said this Friday it is predicted to be 30°C in Usk and 26°C in Machynlleth.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Dan Rudman, said; “Temperatures will rise through the week, becoming well above-average by day by Friday when many parts of the southern half of the UK are likely to reach 30°C or even 33°C in isolated spots.
“This is the first spell of hot weather this year and it is still unusual for temperature to exceed these values in June. Many areas will also see some warm nights with temperatures expected to be in the mid to high teens overnight." Read tips on how to sleep in the heat here.
The Met Office forecast for Wales for Thursday to Saturday says: "Fine, warm and dry on Thursday. Turning increasingly hot on Friday, with the odd sharp shower possible. Fresher on Saturday with sunny spells and perhaps a few showers."
Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UK Health Security Agency, said: ‘"With temperatures forecast to reach 30°C in some parts of the south on Friday we want everyone to enjoy the hot weather safely when it arrives and be aware of good health advice for coping with warmer conditions.
"During periods of hot weather it is especially important to keep checking on those who are most vulnerable, such as older people and those with heart or lung conditions. Make sure to look out for signs of heat exhaustion and follow our simple health advice to beat the heat."
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 varies by UK county.
Although some parts of the UK may perhaps meet these heat wave criteria it looks like this spell of warm weather will be relatively short-lived, the Met Office says.
Milder conditions look likely to return later in the weekend with temperatures trending back to around average for June as cooler air push across the country from the northwest.
The highest temperature reached in the UK so far this year is 27.5°C at Heathrow on May 17. It is still relatively unusual for temperature to reach the mid 30C’s in June and you have to go back to 1976 for the highest recorded June UK temperature when 35.6°C was reached at Southampton Mayflower Park on June 28, 1976.
Welsh forecaster Derek Brockway said the highest temperature on record in Wales was in June when it was 33.7°C in Machynlleth in 2000. The previous highest was 33.5°C in Usk in June 1976.
He added that it will turn cooler and fresher on Saturday with temperatures of 21°C in Usk and 16°C in Machynlleth.
France is also seeing extreme temperatures with state forecaster, Météo France, saying temperatures reach 35°C on Monday and would rise further from midweek as the hot air mass moved northwards, with parts of the south-west and Rhone valley reaching 39°C.
The episode’s peak should be reached between Thursday and Saturday, Méteo France said, adding that it was being fuelled by an Atlantic low-pressure system between the Azores islands and Madeira.
