UK Weather: ‘Soft’ heatwave set to land in the UK with warmer temperatures set to arrive in April

Get the sunscreen out, a ‘soft’ heatwave could be on the way as weather for the remainder of April and May could bring above average temperatures to the UK. The sharp spike in temperature will be welcome news for many as weather experts are predicting large parts of the UK could reach the mid 20s, after months of cold weather.

Despite temperatures set to jump from what has been mild weather this year at best, it is currently predicted to be nowhere near the temperatures which were recorded last year during an extreme heat period.

London, along with the south east and other areas in the region are predicted to see the warmest temperatures during this period. In 2022, Kenley Airfield, Greater London, recorded a new highest minimum temperature of 25.8C.

A milestone was reached in UK climate history last year, with a record temperature of 40.3°C recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on July 19, exceeding the previous record by 1.6°C, as well as the record mentioned above.

Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist at British Weather Services, told the Daily Express there’s a real possibility of temperatures hitting mid-20s from April 15.  He said: "We do get heat waves in April, it does happen.

It’ll be a soft heatwave for the second half of April, it could get somewhere in the mid-20s pushing to May, in that general direction. I can’t be overly detailed at the moment, but the signs are there for this kind of change - it’s when you see the charts going in that direction."

What is a heatwave?

A heatwave is an extended period of hot weather, that is relative to the conditions usually expected at a certain period of the year. It is common for a heatwave to bring along humidity with it.

A heatwave in the UK has to meet a threshold to be classed as a heatwave. This is when a certain location records a period at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heat wave temperature threshold. The threshold for this temperature varies by UK county.