Met Office reveals when ‘African plume’ heatwave will hit UK

A Met Office forecast indicated warm days ahead as the UK bids farewell to chilly and rainy weather.

Weather maps reveal a high pressure taking over the country very soon, ahead of the possible arrival of the African plume, bringing heatwave like conditions in the UK by the end of May.

On Wednesday, a mixture of variable cloud, sunny spells, and isolated showers will be seen developing in the afternoon after a bright start to the day.

The skies are expected to clear overnight, potentially forming isolated fog patches. The maximum temperature for the day is predicted to reach 19C.

This week is set to be largely fine and dry.

Thursday might see the occasional afternoon shower, while Friday will be bright and breezy, with scattered showers potentially developing, some of which could be locally heavy.

By the week’s end, sunny intervals will prevail, accompanied by a blustery feel.

Sunday, however, brings the possibility of cloud and intermittent rain over Scotland and Northern Ireland, which may extend into parts of northwest England and potentially Wales later in the day.

But for many areas, sunshine was forecasted for Sunday. The far southeast could experience cooler temperatures due to a brisk breeze.

Next week, most regions can expect fine and dry weather, with periods of cloud and rain more likely in the northwest of the UK. Unsettled weather remained a possibility in the far southeast.

Overall, temperatures during the day are expected to be above average for most parts of the country, although the far southeast may see temperatures closer to average.

While initially the Met Office indicated a predominantly settled theme for the following week and beyond, looking further ahead, high pressure was set to dominate the UK’s weather in the coming weeks, gradually shifting north over time.

This pattern is likely to bring more settled conditions to central and northern regions, but the risk of rain and showers remained higher towards the southeast.