At last, some weather talk that sounds a little less grim. After a spring that has felt more like January's stubborn cousin, it finally looks like Britain is about to warm up for the bank holiday. Honestly, after weeks of muttering in rain-soaked bus stops, it is almost hard to believe, but the forecasts are turning sunny.
What is the magic word here?
"Heatwave" is being whispered, at least in the south. The Met Office says parts of southern England could see highs from 27°C to 29°C over the bank holiday, possibly making Friday the warmest day of the year so far. There is a chance for several days of sunshine and summer-like weather stretching into next week. And out of the "blue" — pun intended — those beer gardens are about to get competitive. There will probably be a run on burger buns, and someone somewhere has already started texting to borrow an old paddling pool.
UK weather forecast: What is happening?
Per the BBC, here is how things may look. The Met Office expects the chilly, gloomy pattern to step aside as high pressure pushes up from the south. England and Wales will get the best of it, especially London and the southeast, where 28°C or even a steamy 29°C is possible by Sunday and Monday. Tony Wisson, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, summed it up: it will feel like a "marked contrast" from what we have had. Warm, sunny, and steady. Sure, it is a dramatic shift; May up until now has been unseasonably cool, with chilly winds and even frost in some areas. In typical British style, it looks like we will go straight from "is it time to put the heating back on?" to "who actually owns sunscreen?"
Will it count as an official heatwave?
Now, that part is a bit technical. The UK's Met Office only declares a heatwave if temperatures hit a region's threshold, say 28°C in London, three days in a row. Some places in the southeast might reach that level, but it is not guaranteed; the spell could break with a cloud or a quick shower. Heatwave or no, a lot of us will break out shorts and sunglasses as soon as the thermometer passes 21°C.
Not all parts of the UK will see the same weather
Not everyone is getting perfect weather, though. Britain cannot help itself. England and Wales, especially in the southeast and east, should get the sunniest and driest conditions. Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the northwest? Still some clouds, rain, maybe a local thunderstorm. As of now, the forecast is patchy — sunshine here, a soaking there, and someone grilling through drizzle in Manchester.
Why is the weather suddenly changing?
Now, one may ask: What is causing the shift in the weather? Per the Met Office, high pressure building up from mainland Europe is letting warm air move north, displacing those nagging Arctic currents that made most of May feel like spring was cancelled. Oddly enough, southern England could be warmer than Athens or Barcelona for a stretch. This is exactly the sort of news Britain specializes in putting on the front page, and then everyone runs outside in a T-shirt and shorts, no matter the forecast for next week.
Will the warm spell last beyond the bank holiday?
It might. Some models say above-average temperatures will continue into late May, especially down south. High pressure could hang around, keeping things settled. But, as everyone in Britain knows, forecasts here are always a bit shaky past three or four days. There is every chance a front sweeps in and brings showers, storms, or a drop in temperature. Still, after weeks under the wet sky, a few warm days are more than enough to lift the mood!
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