Britain's 'longest running' heatwave could start tomorrow and last for days - bringing in temperatures in the mid-30s, forecasters have warned. Temperatures could hit as high as 35C by next week, the Met Office predicts.
Mid-July will be hotter than Antigua, in the Caribbean - which will see temperatures of 29C, the Mirror reports. The warm spell is expected to begin on Saturday.
Some parts of the UK are expected to see a high of 29C, with the mercury nudging 30C by Sunday. Into early next week, temperatures are expected to climb even higher and reach a sweltering 'mid-30s' as the week progresses on.
And while it isn't expected to be quite so hot in Greater Manchester temperatures are predicted to soar to a blistering 27C next week. On Sunday the region will see highs of 20C with sunny intervals, according to the Met Office before Monday and Tuesday will see temperatures climb to 27C.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: "Forecast models suggest mid-30s temperature highs later next week. All eyes are focused on a southerly airstream which could waft additional heat to our shores.”
A level 2 heat health alert has been issued covering southern and eastern areas. This means that there is a high chance for temperatures to rise significantly from 9am on Monday July 11, and 9am on Friday July 15, in parts of England.
It is important that the vulnerable are looked out for during these high spells, as temperatures that remain abnormally high over more than a couple of days can prove fatal. "We’re at the start of a stretch of warm weather for much of England and Wales that could last for much of next week," said the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, David Oliver.
"In the short term, many can expect temperatures in the mid to high 20Cs over the weekend, and then in the low 30Cs during the start of next week. Much of next week will remain warm for the time of year as well as dry and sunny."
And the scorching temperatures are expected to last long enough for the Met Office to officially declare it a heatwave. In an update, the weather forecasting service said: "Areas with lower heatwave thresholds, especially southwest England and south Wales are more likely to reach heatwave criteria from Thursday onwards.
"Elsewhere with the higher thresholds, the chance of an official heatwave is more marginal, although it’s possible they could also reach their heatwave thresholds from Sunday."
Should the heatwave last 12 days in a row, it will be the longest for four years. "Some solutions allow more extreme temperatures to develop into next weekend. We'll be monitoring this closely over the coming days," The Met Office added.
Forecaster Leon Brown of The Weather Channel also said: "35C highs are expected this month - and even higher is possible."
And if you are heading to the beach to top up on your tan, the RNLI have urged people to stay safe during the heatwave. Sam Hughes, a national water safety partner at the charity, said: "It is great to hear that the sun is on its way but we want to remind everyone to stay safe at the coast. If you are planning on going to the beach we would encourage you to visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags."
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