Saturday was the UK’s hottest day of the year so far, the Met Office confirmed as sunny skies and high temperatures are set to stay across Greater Manchester over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Temperatures reached as high as 24.3C in Bramham, West Yorkshire, the forecaster said, with the warm weather expected to continue into Sunday, although it’s not predicted to be quite as hot.
In Greater Manchester, the mercury is expected to top 20C on Sunday, with similar highs predicted for Bank Holiday Monday.
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Nationwide, temperatures are expected to reach up to 23C in Plymouth.
Forecaster Simon Partridge said the UK is seeing “hints of summer”. “For a bank holiday weekend it’s pretty rare to be that dry and sunny, I guess, so we’re not doing too bad,” he said. Meanwhile, travel experts are warning of busy roads over the bank holiday break.
A Met Office spokesman said: “The area of high-pressure which has brought fine conditions across the UK over the last few days is forecast to persist through the bank holiday weekend and into next week.”
Met Office Chief Forecaster, Paul Gundersen, said: “The jet stream sitting to the north of the UK is holding unsettled weather systems at bay and allowing high pressure to dominate bringing fine weather to the vast majority of the UK.
“The current position of the high-pressure means we will see a westerly air flow over the UK, a cooler direction than if air was being brought up from the south, and areas such as Spain or Africa. Therefore, we are not likely to reach heatwave conditions, but temperatures will still be warm reaching the low 20’s for many, particularly in the South West and southern Wales.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Steven Keates, said: “Next week is half term week for much of the country and there is as strong signal the high-pressure will continue to dominate our weather. It’s exact position over the UK will dictate the temperature, wind direction and weather patterns, however, indications are that the dry, bright weather is likely to continue for most with little in the way of rain throughout next week.”
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “We fully expect families to make the most of the largely fine weather over the coming days which is we’re forecasting the busiest late May bank holiday since before the pandemic.
“Into next week and half term for many parts of the UK, day trips will also be a big feature with popular routes to the coasts and countryside becoming busy.
“Getting away early in the morning or delaying trips until the evening are the best way to avoid the inevitable delays.
“No-one wants a breakdown to get in the way of them and time with family and friends, yet so many of the jobs our patrols will go out to are completely avoidable if drivers complete a few checks before they get out on to the open road.
“Ensuring oil and coolant levels are where they should be is a must, as is checking tyres are free of damage and are properly inflated.”
People are being advised to take care if they plan to cool off by swimming in rivers or lakes.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said hazards include strong currents, water quality, uneven riverbanks and tomb-stoning without knowing the water depth or location of underwater objects
A spokesman said: “The idea of swimming in a river or lake will be appealing to many people during this current spell of warm weather.
“Around 85% of accidental drownings occur at open water sites, and many of these drownings occur due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the hazards posed by open water.
“Whilst the benefits of open water swimming are well documented, we feel it’s important to remind potential swimmers of the hazards posed by swimming in open water.”
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