The 26°C heat is coming, hotter than Athens and Barcelona

Temperatures in the UK are set to rise sharply over the weekend, with forecasters predicting temperatures in the south-east will reach 26°C on Friday. The UK has experienced a cold snap in early May, with northerly winds blowing Arctic air into the country, but the Met Office is predicting sunny and warmer weather in England and Wales by the weekend. The Met Office weather forecast, as well as the BBC’s Weather Comparison Report, have highlighted warm temperatures and sunny weather ahead over the bank holiday weekend.The UK experienced freezing weather for much of May. Daytime temperatures are mostly around 9°C to 14°C, while seasonal temperatures at this stage of spring should be 17°C to 18°C. Northerly winds bring cooler Arctic air, causing temperatures to be several degrees cooler than the seasonal average.Unstable conditions are expected early this week. Monday will see showers, sunny spells and possible thunderstorms in some areas, with stronger winds expected on Tuesday. A weather system advancing eastward is expected to affect weather patterns into mid-week.Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “Temperatures will be variable, if not erratic, in parts of the UK during the first half of the week. Temperatures at the start of the week are still a bit subdued for this time of year; we can expect to see changes as the weekend approaches.”Weather conditions will start to improve on Thursday when high pressure begins to build over England and Wales. Sunny and more stable weather is expected, with temperatures gradually rising in the southeast on Friday, reaching a maximum of 26°C. The maximum temperature in Athens is expected to reach 25°C, while in Barcelona it may reach 21°C.Generally warm weather is also expected over the bank holiday weekend. Forecasters predict England and Wales will enjoy the most sunshine, while temperatures are expected to be above normal for the time of year in many areas.Snell said: “The best sunshine over the bank holiday weekend is likely to be in England and Wales. Temperatures are still above normal and could become very warm again, but it’s still too early to reach maximum temperatures.”He added that after several days of cold, wet weather earlier this month, recent forecasts show much better conditions for the holiday weekend. “There are signs now that things are looking a lot better for the bank holiday than we have been over the past week or so.”