UK set for hottest day of the year this week as temperatures could hit 29C

A scorching start to the month of May

Weather-wise, the month of April peaked at the weekend just in time for Manchester and London's concurrent marathons on Sunday (April 27) - notably leaving The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett feeling terribly faint by Mile 17 of the latter.

And this week has already got off to something of a flyer, with England and Wales welcoming heat measurements of 19-24°C, yet the best is still to come as parts of London are expected to potentially hit 29°C by Thursday, May 1 (this writer's birthday... get in!).

That's the warmest we've experienced since early September 2024.

Chief meteorologist Jason Kelly revealed in a statement: "Thursday looks set to be the warmest day of the week, with temperatures climbing notably above the seasonal average.

"Overnight temperatures will also be very high in places. It’s possible national and station records for daytime and overnight temperatures may be broken, but it's unclear at this point whether heatwave criteria will be reached in some of the lower category areas which require temperatures to reach 25°C or above for three consecutive days. The far north will always see cooler conditions, with these more seasonal temperatures likely spreading erratically south later in the week."

The spirit-dampening news, though, is that these heavenly numbers are likely to last just one day, with temperatures sliding back down from Friday, May 2 onwards.

Showers and thunderstorms are even on the horizon for those in the south/southwest.

The highest recorded April temperature dates back to 1949, when Camden Square in London reached 29.4°C mid-month, while May's equivalent was 32.8°C in 1922.