The latest weather maps show mercury misery for much of the country in the days to come, with temperatures dipping as low as just -1C after one of the hottest April days
Brits fortunate enough to enjoy today’s sweltering near-30C weather will be plunged into a 5C ice bath in just a few days as the mercury slides by more than 20C.
Temperatures in the southeast today surged above 25C, reaching highs of 26.6C in southwest London, rivalling typically hot Italian capital Rome and Spanish tourist hotspot Ibiza. The figures mean today’s was one of the hottest April days on record, and the hottest of the year so far – and it came after the “warmest 7 April on record”.
But a major shift set to take shape in the coming days will see many Brits plunged into comparatively freezing low single-figure conditions.
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The Met Office said in a post on social media that the exceptionally high temperatures of Wednesday were “very uncommon” for early April, with the average typically much lower than this. The agency said: “For context, temperatures above 26C are very uncommon in early April.
“Indeed, today has been the second warmest day on record during the first half of any April.” The agency agreed it would become much colder by Thursday as a westerly wind develops behind a cold front.
On Thursday, Met Office forecasters said the day would start “chilly” before warming up through the day to the low 20C range, stating: “Brighter spells likely at first, and soon feeling warm in any sunshine. Cloud then thickens by the afternoon, with outbreaks of rain possible. Cooler and breezy into the evening. Maximum temperature 23C.”
Maps from WXCharts show that on Thursday the country show London will be the warmest part of the country, with the rest of the southeast seeing similar highs in the high teens.
The nicer weather will be concentrated in the region, with the mercury elsewhere sticking in the low 10s and teens, and dropping as low as 5C in northern England and Scotland. There’s a much different picture the following day, however, when conditions further north find their way south.
The mercury across the country on April 10 will drop down to just 5C in the morning widely, with temperatures of 6-7C in the southeast, 3-4C in Wales, the Midlands and northern England, and a bone-chilling -1C to 2C in Scotland.
From Friday to Sunday, temperatures would slide back to the “near average” for the season. The forecast adds: “Chilly start Friday then sunny intervals, cloud thickening later. Rain and strong winds Saturday morning, isolated showers later. Sunshine and showers Sunday. Temperatures near average for April.”
Daytime highs will only get to around 13C tops in a trend that could last well into next week, around Wednesday, with maps showing the country warming slightly in the following days.
The Met Office long-range forecast, which covers April 13 to 22, warns that the weather will stay “changeable”, with rain scattered among some drier interludes. It states: “It will likely remain rather changeable during the first part of this period, with showers or occasional longer spells of rain interspersed with drier interludes.”
“The pattern will likely become increasingly slow evolving, with low pressure to the northwest of the UK and high pressure over Scandinavia.
“This may lead to more in the way of drier, settled weather, especially in the north and east, although there will still be showery outbreaks, particularly in the south. When the winds are light, it should feel quite warm, despite temperatures most likely being close to normal for most.”
