Parts of the United Kingdom are expected to experience higher temperatures than popular vacation destinations like Zante this week, according to the latest forecast from the Met Office. The national weather agency anticipates a surge in sunshine across southern and western regions today, leading to a rise in temperatures. Some areas could reach 17 degrees Celsius this afternoon, with even warmer conditions projected for tomorrow.
Maps illustrating temperature anomalies highlight significant areas of England and Wales painted in deep red on Wednesday afternoon, indicating temperatures well above the usual seasonal norms. Met Office’s chief forecaster, Dan Harris, predicts Wednesday to be the warmest day of the week, potentially marking the hottest day of the year so far. Harris mentioned that as high pressure dominates, western parts of Wales and England will experience the highest temperatures.
“The warmest locations are likely to be in western Wales and western England, where temperatures could reach 18-19 degrees Celsius, possibly even hitting 20 degrees Celsius under clear skies,” Harris stated. This temperature surge is attributed to the expected additional boost from east to south-easterly winds passing over elevated terrains, known as the Foehn effect. The current temperature record for this year stands at 19.2 degrees Celsius, recorded in London on March 5.
While the UK could see temperatures reaching 20 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, Zante, Greece, is only expected to reach around 16 degrees Celsius. Similar temperatures are anticipated in Ibiza, Spain. A cooling trend is expected to commence on Thursday, although anomaly maps indicate some areas will still enjoy temperatures above the seasonal average. The Met Office foresees a return to typical seasonal temperatures by Friday.
According to BBC Weather, sunshine is expected for most regions on Thursday, with a chance of isolated showers in far north-western Scotland. Southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Cumbria are likely to experience mostly cloudy conditions with occasional light rain. The weather is forecasted to be dry and settled from Thursday to Saturday as high pressure influences the weather patterns. Expect sunny spells, varying cloud cover, and some overnight fog, with light winds prevailing throughout the period. Temperatures will trend milder until Friday.