Met Office gives verdict on 'mini-heatwave' as temperatures could reach as high as 20C
11.04.2024 - 16:03
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Temperatures are set to go up significantly in parts of the UK in the coming days.
However, the Met Office has confirmed whether the higher temperatures can actually be called a 'mini-heatwave' or not. In order for an extended period to be called a heatwave, hot weather must be consistently experienced for at least three days.
Temperatures must also reach between 25C to 28C depending on which part of the country is being recorded. Because of this strict criteria, the Met Office has warned that this week's increasing temperatures is unlikely to be considered a heatwave, even if it does feel a lot warmer than usual.
Read more: Killer who pushed his teen girlfriend down stairs will be FREED as her disgusted family blast parole board
Andrea Bishop, a Met Office Spokesperson, said: "We are seeing some warmer air moving across the country from the west, bringing some milder weather to much of the country today and tomorrow. Temperatures are expected to reach the high teens and maybe 20°C in the southeast today, but also reaching towards the high teens all the way up the east coast towards the north of Scotland. Cooler air moves in from Saturday, seeing temperatures decline from the north.
"The southeast is likely to see warm conditions on Saturday, although elsewhere temperatures are likely to be near normal or even slightly below. These warm few days are not technically a ‘mini-heatwave’.
"Temperatures have to reach very specific levels over very specific time frames, before we would declare a heatwave. The current mild spell will not reach ‘heatwave’ criteria.”
Heatwaves are most likely to occur during the summer due the development of high pressure across any given region. The latest record-high temperature for the UK