Britain to be warmer than Athens with temperatures set to soar
Some parts of Britain could be hotter than Athens this week as temperatures rise, forecasters have said.
The mercury could rise as high as 20C in Wales and the West of England on Wednesday, according to the Met Office, rising several degrees above the 13C forecast in the Greek capital.
This means we could see the hottest day of the year in 2026, beyond the 18.7C seen so far.
This occurs when winds blowing from the east to the southeast pass through areas of high pressure, causing temperatures to rise in a phenomenon known as the Foehn effect.
England is expected to wake up to cloudy skies on Tuesday, while Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to remain overcast and rainy throughout the day.
However, England will see the clouds clear and a sunny sky develop in the afternoon; Temperatures in the south and west will rise to between 15 and 16C.
However, the hottest weather is expected to arrive on Wednesday due to high pressure prevailing. Forecasters said the south and west were expected to see the warmest temperatures, which could reach around 20C, but were more likely to settle around 18C to 19C for most.
The warm weather will continue into Thursday, with dry conditions expected and temperatures topping out at around 16C in the south.
However, the sunny weather is predicted to last only a few days. On Friday, temperatures will drop towards the seasonal average of around 14C; but the UK will still be a few degrees warmer than Athens.
Met Office Chief Forecast Officer Dan Harris said: “Wednesday looks set to be the hottest day of the week for most people, with high pressure dominating. The hottest spots are likely to be in west Wales and parts of western England, where it could be 18-19C, possibly even 20C, under sunny skies. This is due to the additional increase expected from the passage of east to south-east winds over higher areas, known as the Foehn effect.
But he warned the UK could expect cold nights in between sunny nights, adding: “There will be a large daily gap this week, which is the difference between the maximum daytime temperature and the minimum night temperature.
“Thanks to clear skies during the day, we will see warm days followed by cold nights and a few places will experience frost.”
Tonight and tonight:
A rather cloudy but mild night; It rains mostly in the north and west, but also occasionally in the southern hills. It’s a stormy night, especially in the north and coastal storms developing in the northwest.
Tuesday:
The cloud will gradually break and it will be a sunny afternoon across much of England and Wales. While cloudy and windy weather continues in Scotland and Northern Ireland, new rains are also expected.
Outlook from Wednesday to Friday:
For most it is located in a mostly dry area with plenty of sunlight. The weather will warm up with light winds on Wednesday and Thursday, but it will gradually get colder from Friday. Some areas of overnight fog possible.
