Heatwave likely this weekend as warm air arrives from Europe

Much of the UK, including Devon, is expected to experience a heatwave this weekend, the Met Office has warned.

Temperatures will rise steadily through the week, starting with highs around 27ºC on Wednesday, increasing to 29ºC on Thursday. By Saturday, many areas are expected to see temperatures exceed 30ºC.

Matthew Lehnert, Met Office 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.”

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson explained the cause of the rising temperatures: “The rising temperatures this week are a combination of several factors. Over the next few days, settled weather and warm sunshine will allow temperatures to rise day on day. Temperatures will then rise further towards the end of the week as winds turn more southerly and even warmer air over continental Europe will be drawn across the UK. We could very well see several places exceeding 30ºC, which will be the highest temperatures of the year so far.”

The Met Office defines a heatwave as a period of at least three consecutive days where temperatures meet or exceed the heatwave threshold specific to each location.

Across much of the north and west of the UK, this threshold is 25ºC, while in Greater London and the Home Counties it is higher at 28ºC.

Tony Wisson added: “By the beginning of the weekend we could very well be meeting heatwave thresholds in places. While the warmest temperatures are likely across London and the east of England, by Saturday heatwave thresholds could be reached across much of the Midlands, low-lying areas bordering the Peak District and even parts of east Wales.”

Although Devon may not reach the highest temperatures seen in London or the east, residents can still expect warm, sunny conditions with daytime highs possibly reaching the mid to high twenties Celsius.

Looking ahead, the Met Office predicts that high pressure will move away from the UK early next week, leading to cooler temperatures.

However, there remains some uncertainty around how quickly this will happen and the exact peak temperatures.

Tony Wisson said: “Temperatures are likely to peak in the low 30s Celsius this weekend before easing sometime early week. Some forecast models even allow temperatures to rise into the mid 30s of Celsius by Monday. While this is feasible, it is considered a lower-likelihood scenario.”

With the warm weather approaching, people in Devon are advised to stay hydrated and take precautions during the hotter days.