Britons have basked in a burst of summerlike weather this week as temperatures have surged beyond the seasonal average – and they may soon break records. Forecasters say Thursday may be Britain’s warmest May 1, with highs expected to reach 84.2F (29C).
The heat has been driven by two key factors: a large area of high pressure that has settled over Britain, causing descending air that warms as it sinks, and continuous sunshine, fuelling daytime heating.
Aidan McGivern, a meteorologist at the Met Office, explained that this has been a familiar pattern over the last few months. “The sun this time of the year is as strong as it is in Aug,” he said. “We’re not importing this air from anywhere else – this is homegrown warmth.” London recorded Britain’s highest temperature of the year on Monday, only for that to be beaten on Tuesday.
The mercury is expected to rise further on Wednesday and Thursday. Overnight temperatures have been above average too, with parts of Scotland experiencing their warmest April night on record.
The peak of the heat is expected on Thursday. Temperatures in southern England could reach 29C, which would be a record for May 1. The current record was set in 1990 in Lossiemouth, Scotland, which hit 27.4C. If temperatures rise a bit higher, it could also become the earliest date in the year that Britain has hit 30C, based on Met Office data going back to 1860. Typical highs for Britain in late April are around 54F (12) in northern areas and 61F (16)in the south. nyt