Britons are set to bask in the hottest day of the year on Wednesday, marking the start of a heatwave with temperatures soaring to 34C later in the week. The Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have issued a level 2 heat-health alert for a large part of southern and central England, with a level 1 alert in place for northern England.
Temperatures will sizzle from Wednesday, which will see highs of 28C in parts of the South East. It would make it the hottest day of the year so far, eclipsing the 27.5C set in mid-May at Heathrow.
Parts of the UK will also be warmer than Greek Islands Santorini, Mykonos and Zakynthos – as well as Los Angeles and parts of Barbados. Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office forecaster, told the PA news agency: “The vast majority of England and Wales will see a lovely day on Wednesday, though slightly different in Northern Ireland and Scotland, which will see cloud and showers.