UK weather maps turn fiery red in 26C ‘heatwave’ - the 16 warmest counties
Britain could be set for a late September warm spell, with weather maps showing temperatures soaring across parts of the country.
Britain could be in for another spell of unseasonably warm weather next week, with a striking weather map showing temperatures climbing into the mid-to-high 20s across large parts of England.
The WXCharts forecast map shows maximum temperatures reaching around 27C in parts of central and eastern England on Thursday, September 24, and later again on Sunday, September 27.
The deepest orange and red shading covers a broad area stretching from the Midlands into East Anglia and the South East, with several areas showing temperatures of 26C or higher.
Counties forecast to reach 26C or higher:
- Herefordshire
- Warwickshire
- Gloucestershire
- Leicestershire
- Rutland
- Northamptonshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Oxfordshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Bedfordshire
- Greater London
- Wiltshire
- Surrey
- Hampshire
- West Sussex
- Somerset
The highest values shown on the map are around 27C, with some neighbouring areas reaching 26C.
The warmest conditions appear to be concentrated across central and eastern England, while western and northern parts of the UK are shown in much cooler shades.
The latest Met Office long-range forecast gives a more mixed picture for Saturday, September 19 to Monday, September 28.
It says the weather is likely to remain changeable, with occasional rain and showers arriving from the North Atlantic, particularly across northern and western parts of the UK. Strong winds are also possible at times.
There should also be some reasonably dry and settled periods, particularly across southern areas, while the Met Office says there is a chance this settled weather could spread further north during the final week of September.
Crucially, the Met Office expects temperatures across the period as a whole to be close to average, rather than persistently hot. However, it says there is scope for some rather warm days at times, alongside relatively cool nights that could even bring the occasional grass frost.
That means the dramatic orange and red colours on the ECMWF map point to a potentially very warm day rather than a guaranteed prolonged heatwave.
The Met Office's current regional outlook also highlights the contrast between the warmer south and cooler conditions elsewhere. London and the South East are expected to have some warm weather in the shorter term, while the wider UK forecast remains changeable heading into the latter part of September.
With more than a week still to go before the date shown on the map, the exact temperatures and areas affected are likely to shift.
But if the current model forecast holds, parts of England could enjoy a surprisingly warm end to September, with temperatures potentially reaching 26C or 27C.
