UK weather: Mini-heatwave brings hottest day of the year with highs of 33C

Hot air coming across from France and Spain is pushing up UK temperatures

Families enjoying the summer sunshine on deckchairs on the sandy beach at the popular seaside holiday resort of Swanage in Dorset

The UK is set to experience the hottest day of the year on Tuesday as the current mini-heat wave could push temperatures as high as 33C.

The UK has already been enjoying the hottest temperatures of the year so far, with record highs of 27.6C recorded in several parts of England on Sunday. The highest temperature previously recorded in 2016 was over a month ago on 6 June, when the mercury reached 27.4C.

The higher-than-average temperatures are due to the heat coming across from France and Spain, where temperatures are currently in the low 40s. Mark Wilson, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said there is an area of high pressure across the UK which brings a lack of rainfall and sunny weather with it. “We won’t get those temperatures but we are getting that very warm air,” he said, adding that it may feel uncomfortable overnight due to the heat.

The Met Office is monitoring the possibility of issuing a health warning due to the hot weather called Heat Health Watch. The warning, which only covers England, is to help healthcare professionals manage periods of extreme temperatures. The Met Office may raise the warning to Level Two, which means professionals should be “alert and ready”.

Despite the soaring temperatures on Tuesday, the mini-heat wave will turn showery across parts of the northwest on Wednesday, and it will start to feel cooler from Thursday onwards. Temperatures over the weekend are expected to drop to the UK average for July, which is around 21C.