Runners at the London Marathon experienced the fourth-warmest frun in the event’s history on Sunday and when temperatures reach 28°C this week, it will be for the first time since April 2018.
According to the Met Office, the UK is indeed experiencing a warmer-than-average April and, when a full record can be established in May, it is “highly likely” to rank in their top 10.
Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin told The i Paper: “Daytime temperatures have been slightly above average for almost all corners of the UK, and with the high temperatures expected into next week it is highly likely that 2025 will rank in the top 10 warmest Aprils on record.”
She said the warm weather is being driven by high pressure just to the east of the UK which is driving in relatively warm air from the near continent and Scandinavia.
A process called adiabatic heating is occurring where air is descending and compressing, causing it to warm up.
With temperatures expected to reach 28°C next week, it will certainly feel significantly warmer than usual for the UK, but there will be a way to go to top the Met Office’s current record.
Temperatures for this time of year at the end of April are is usually about 12°C in the north and 16°C in the south, so some areas could be in excess of 10°C higher than the average.
“Our all-time highest temperature recorded in April was 29.4°C at Camden Square in London on 16 April 1949,” says Ms Hutin.
“Whilst we are unlikely to beat this record this week, we will be seeing the warmest April conditions since lockdown in 2020, when highs reached 25 to 26°C between 10 and 12 April.”
Tourists and locals thronged the Royal Mile as Edinburgh and many parts of Scotland enjoyed fine spring sunshine (Photo credit: Ken Jack/Getty Images)
Monday is likely to be the hottest day of the year so far, which currently is April 24 when it hit 24°C, then each day could break the record again until the peak, Mr Snell said.
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: “There will be plenty of sunshine around, the very north of Scotland at times will see some spells of rain, especially at the beginning of the week, but it’s going to be limited to the far north of Scotland.
“For a lot of the UK it’s going to be largely sunny.”
Scotland and Northern Ireland will experience cloudier conditions and temperatures of around 16 to 19°C.
Fairer weather takes hold, building to a peak on Wednesday and Thursday when temperatures are expected to reach 27°C in London and the South East.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will see an expected high of 23°C with temperatures reaching 25°C in Wales. Coastal areas will feel cooler due to lower sea temperatures but UV remains high.
There is a small chance of seeing 29°C, the forecaster said.
Temperatures to return closer to average from the north on Friday. Largely fine but cooler conditions are then most likely over the Bank Holiday weekend with a chance of rain in the north.
Risk of wildfires
A particularly dry March, followed by warmer-than-average temperatures in April, caused significant wildfires across the UK.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has urged the public to be extra vigilant and careful including not using disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks and moorland areas, and not throwing away cigarettes, matches or even glass bottles that could set fire to dry vegetation.
Fire services in Scotland, Northern Ireland and England have attended multiple wildfires this year, with most caused by human activity – accidentally and some deliberately.
Over the Easter weekend, the NFCC issued an alert that fire and rescue services in England and Wales have responded to 380 wildfires so far this year – more than double the number for the same period in 2022, which went on to be a record year for wildfires.
Fire warnings were also in place for London and Yorkshire, with firefighters tackling a blaze on Marsden Moor in the South Pennines, between West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
In late March, more than a dozen fire crews tackled a moorland blaze measuring an area of 6 miles (10km) by 3 miles (5km) in a similar area.
What is a heatwave?
by Madeleine Cuff and Sam Rucker
The Met Office defines a heatwave as at least three consecutive days of temperatures above what would normally be expected from that time of the year. The threshold is different for each county, depending on where they are in the country, and it is usually accompanied by high humidity.
In London, temperatures must breach 28C for three days in a row to count as a heatwave. In the East Riding of Yorkshire, temperatures need to remain above 26C.
Generally speaking, the threshold is higher in the South East, with the minimum value being 25C in parts of Wales, the Midlands and the South West.
While heatwaves are most common in the summer, which sees slow-moving, high-pressure systems remain over an area for an extended period, they can also occur in other parts of the year as well.
High pressure can often develop over the country because the UK is centred below a jet stream, resulting in persistent dry and settled weather.
The Met Office’s advice for warm weather is to stay hydrated and avoid long periods in direct sunlight between 11am to 3pm, wearing a high-factor SPF sunscreen if that is unavoidable, as there will be moderate to high UV levels in the coming days.
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