Weather maps show which counties will be hit with heatwave-like temperatures this month, and which ones will escape it. What defines a heatwave depends on where you live in the UK. If you live in Greater London, for example, temperatures must exceed 28C to be considered a heatwave, says the Met Office. However, the threshold is only 25C for most of the country. In counties in the South and East of England, such as Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, the heatwave threshold is 27C.
Current weather maps from England-based forecasting service WXCharts show scorching temperatures over much of the country on Thursday, May 28. The hottest areas will be London and its surrounding counties, which will reach temperatures as high as 29C. However, temperatures over 25C will be present in other places, with more counties in England experiencing temperatures above their respective thresholds than not. The hottest temperatures will be found in England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland staying relatively cool in comparison.
The counties that will escape the hot weather are:
- Bridgend
- North Port Talbot
- Swansea
- Carmarhtenshire
- Pembrokeshire
- Ceredigion
- Gwynedd
- Anglesey
- Conway
Weather maps show temperatures reaching their hottest in the afternoon on Thursday, May 28. Tuesday, May 26, is also expected to be hot for much of the country, but conditions will get hotter later in the week.
The following weekend could be just as hot for many parts of the country over the weekend that follows. The change in conditions follows a cold and wet snap the UK experienced this May, with temperatures dropping just when people were gearing up for summer.
“Some patchy rain may affect the far north at times, and perhaps a few showers in the far south. Temperatures are expected to be above normal, feeling very warm at times with light winds.”
As it stands, the beginning of June is expected to have similar conditions, but wetter and mixed weather could arrive in the middle of the month.