UK weather: Exact date Britons could face this year’s hottest temperatures revealed

Temperatures of 32C already recorded as mercury predicted to cross year’s highest mark soon

The hottest day of the year could soon be on the cards for the UK, according to a new Met Office forecast as temperatures soar to 32C in parts of the country and meet the criteria for heatwaves.

The UK experienced its hottest September day since 2016 on Wednesday, with 32C recorded in Kew Gardens in west London, although the hottest temperatures did not pass June’s 32.2C high – the current hottest day of the year.

This could soon change, however, as temperatures are expected to climb further in the next few days, with the mercury expected to reach 33C on Saturday, showed an updated forecast.

Temperatures in the far north that have remained comparatively cooler so far due to sea fog will also be in the mid 20s, the Met Office said.

Large parts of England and Wales have already been experiencing balmy temperatures in the high 20s. West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Devon and Wales all hit the heatwave threshold on Tuesday.

An amber heat health alert is in place for most of England amid an official heatwave.

The UK Health Security Agency, which provides alerts for the health and social care sector in England, increased its heat health alert from Yellow to Amber midday Tuesday. The alert will last 9pm on Sunday, highlighting increased risks to those more vulnerable to heat.

“In total there’s 13 stations that have officially marked it [heatwave]. As you go through the next couple of days quite a few extra will be added onto that,” Amy Bokota, meteorologist for the Met Office, had said earlier.

“32C is expected tomorrow [Wednesday], 33C perhaps on Thursday, which is expected to be the peak,” Ms Bokota had said.

The June record was set as the UK experienced its hottest weather on record in that month, driven by the climate crisis amid globally recorded extreme temperatures and heatwaves this year.

As the nation emerges from a bout of unsettled weather, high pressure centred over the southeast is set to bring this wave of summer heat even though the meteorological autumn season has started, the Met Office forecast said.

“High pressure is situated to the southeast of the UK, which is bringing more settled conditions with temperatures on the rise through the first half of this week,” Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mark Sidaway said.

“While the highest temperatures are expected in the south, heatwave conditions are likely across much of England and Wales especially, with parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland also likely to see some unseasonably high temperatures.”

Mr Sidaway explained that an active tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic is “helping to amplify the pattern across the North Atlantic, and has pushed the jet stream well to the north of the UK, allowing some very warm air to be drawn north”.

“It’s a marked contrast to the much of meteorological summer, when the UK was on the northern side of the jet stream with cooler air and more unsettled weather.”

In addition to high daytime temperatures, which could see official heatwaves be observed from as early as Tuesday in some spots, the conditions will also remain uncomfortably warm overnight, especially in the south, with a chance of tropical nights, which is when overnight temperatures remain in excess of 20C, the Met Office said.

The highest overnight minimum temperature for September on record is 21.7C, and this record could be threatened on Wednesday and Thursday nights in particular.

While the week is largely expected to remain hot, there are some breezy and showery conditions in western areas which could subdue the feeling of the temperatures for some.

Another exception to the largely very warm conditions this week is in the far north and west of Scotland, which will see some periods of showery rain at times, in addition to some North Sea coasts which may see some low cloud.

However, temperatures are also set to reach 27C in Northern Ireland and Scotland, the Met Office said.