UK set to be hotter than California next week as temperatures soar to 30ºC

The UK could be hotter than California next week, with temperatures climbing above 30ºC after weeks of rain and strong winds across the country.

A burst of tropical air caused by high pressure will arrive mid-week, meaning that the South East could reach 32ºC on Friday – notably higher than the 26ºC forecast for Los Angeles.

The Met has said that Brits are unlikely to see warmer conditions until Friday, however, with downpours continuing from Sunday evening until Monday.

Parts of North Wales could see up to two inches of rain on Monday- the equivalent of about half a month’s average rainfall- which will likely lead to a weather warning for the area.

“We are looking at the possibility of reaching the low 30s later in the week, most likely on Friday, probably in and around London, running into East Anglia and other parts of the South and East,” Met forecaster Dan Stroud said.

“We’ve got low pressure dominating at the moment, which will eventually give way to another area of heavy rain and cloud which will move up from the South and West into Monday, which will be a miserable and wet day across England and Wales.”

Mr Stroud added that the rain will die down on Tuesday and Wednesday, before soaring to the late 20s and 30ºC towards the end of the week.

Most of England and Wales is set to surpass 25ºC on Friday, while Scotland and Northern Ireland will hover in the low and mid-20s.

While there’ll be plenty of dry and sunny spells, the Met Office warned that it can’t rule out the chance of outbreaks of rain and thunderstorms.

Sunday is expected to bring in a mix of sunshine and showers. The North and North West will see the worst of the wet weather, while scattered rain will hit the South. Conditions will stay mild, with most parts of the country sitting between 20 and 23ºC.

The latest forecast won’t affect the overall outlook for August overall. Mr Stroud said the low pressure will sweep back in, making the following weekend far more unsettled.

The Met’s long-range forecast said there was “low confidence” in an extended period of warm weather. Late August and September will see “changeable” conditions of patchy rain and cloud, with temperatures likely to “trend downward.”

The Met has already ruled out the possibility of a heatwave, as the sizzling conditions sweeping through Europe, which has seen record-breaking temperatures of over 40ºC, are highly unlikely to move over to the UK.