The United Kingdom could experience temperatures hotter than Hawaii on Friday, with the mercury potentially climbing to 27C in parts of the country. However, forecasters have warned of possible heavy rain and thunder, followed by more changeable conditions over the bank holiday weekend.
Warmest day of the year so far
According to the Met Office, temperatures could reach 27C in London and East Anglia on Friday, making it the warmest day of the year so far. This would surpass the high of 26C forecast for Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii. Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge explained that warm, humid air moving up from the south is driving the rise in temperatures.
“We’ve got some very warm, humid air coming up from the south,” Partridge told the Press Association. “That means we will see some very warm weather, particularly in the east and the South East, because there we’ll see the best of the sunshine. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean everybody’s going to get a warm, dry, beautiful day.”
Regional variations and thunder risks
While the south and east bask in warmth, cloud cover over the central spine of the UK—from Scotland, through the Pennines and into the Midlands—could bring heavy rain. “Certainly the odd rumble of thunder is possible there, particularly over the Midlands,” Partridge noted.
Friday’s highs in London and the South East will be around 10C higher than the seasonal average of 15 to 17C. In Wales, Cardiff could be warmer than Athens, where forecasters predict a high of just 14C—5C cooler than the Welsh capital’s expected top temperature.
Despite the warmth, the record for the highest April temperature in the UK remains 29.4C, recorded in Camden Square, central London, in 1949.
Bank holiday weekend: a different story
The May Day weekend will bring a sharp change, with unsettled conditions expected across the UK. “The weekend is a bit of a different story, really,” said Partridge. “There will be some bright spells in there as well on Saturday, but there will also be showers, particularly across northern and western parts of the UK.”
Rain is forecast nationwide on Sunday, and temperatures will gradually cool towards the seasonal average. By Monday, temperatures are expected to return to typical April levels. “We’re looking at elevens and twelves (degrees Celsius) in the north and fifteens and sixteens in the south, so it will feel quite fresh and chilly compared to what we’ve had,” Partridge added.
