As the Azores High extends over the UK this weekend, there will be little change in the weather, allowing temperatures to rise day by day. This will also result in prolonged sunshine for much of the UK, with the exception of the far northwest, which will be cooler and cloudier.

The highest temperatures are expected in southern and central England and Wales, though temperatures will be above average across the vast majority of the UK this week and into early next week.

We’re at the start of a stretch of warm weather for much of England and Wales, which could last for much of next week,” said Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Oliver. Many people can expect temperatures in the mid to high 20s Celsius this weekend, and then in the low 30s Celsius at the start of next week. Much of next week will be warm for the time of year, dry, and sunny.”

Some locations are likely to meet heatwave criteria over the weekend and into early next week. These thresholds are most likely to be met in southwest England and south Wales, though other areas with higher thresholds may also experience heatwaves early next week. Specific thresholds based on region must be met for three consecutive days to qualify for an official Met Office heatwave.

A Level 2 Heat Health Alert has been issued for the south and east.

It’s great to hear that the sun is on its way,” said Sam Hughes, National Water Safety Partner at the RNLI, “but we want to remind everyone to stay safe at the coast.” If you are going to the beach, we recommend that you go to a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.

Float to Live: lean back and use your arms and legs to stay afloat if you get into trouble in the water.” Control your breathing before calling for help or swimming to safety. In the event of a coastal emergency, dial 999 or 112 for the Coastguard.

The warm spell is expected to last through much of next week and into the following weekend, especially in the south. Looking this far ahead always brings some uncertainty, so the exact temperatures are unknown. However, temperatures have the potential to rise above in the coming days.

There’s good model certainty that we’ll see a peak in temperatures in the early part of next week, but there’s one possible scenario where temperatures get even higher late next week,” Met Office Meteorologist and Presenter Alex Deakin said on the latest Met Office 10 Day Trend. A more likely scenario is for temperatures to return to what they were on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures dropping much closer to average.”

“There are some runs, or solutions, that allow more extreme temperatures to develop into next weekend, which is something we will be monitoring closely over the coming days and adding more detail around into the new week,” said Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Oliver.

We’re all looking forward to some warm weather this summer, but it’s important to remember that heat can be very dangerous, especially for children, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions,” said Matthew Killick, Director of Crisis Response and Community Resilience at the British Red Cross.

“Climate change is causing longer and more intense heatwaves, but an alarming number of people are unaware of the risks associated with hot weather.” In the summer of 2020, there were over 2,500 excess deaths in England alone, and it is predicted that heat-related deaths in the UK will treble within 30 years.”