Britain will be blasted by a 23C Iberian plume as the latest weather maps have turned red. Maps from WXCharts show a plume of hot air moving toward the UK during the second week of May with temperature levels rising to double digits.
The change in the weather conditions will come days after Brits experienced cold and snowy weather in April.
The hot weather will spread across the country with even northern parts witnessing mercury levels rising to 17C, maps have suggested.
A ‘Spanish plume’, also known as an Iberian plume is a weather setup which brings an increased risk of thunderstorms within an air mass that travels north from Iberia.
According to the Met Office, Spanish plumes most often affect southern areas of the UK, with southeastern and southern England most at risk.
These areas are closest to the source of the warm plume of air and so it is here that the contrast between warm and cool air masses is greatest.
Sharing insights on the possibility of hot weather in the coming days, Jim Dale, a weather expert from British Weather Services told Express.co.uk: “The next two weeks will be punctuated by some warmer weather at times and by that I mean temperature ranging from 17C to 21C across the UK.
“In between that, it will be cooler. We are taking smaller and more natural steps towards the warmer days.
“There will be choppy weather in the next few days. We will soon warm up and there is everything to play for as we move forward.
“You will find Spain, France, Portugal already witnessing high temperatures which is classic for this time of the year.
“As May unfolds properly, we do start to see a bit warm Iberian, as we put it. But there is no consistency on the charts as on yet. But things can change very quickly. We are nearly two weeks away from that point, so we need to wait and watch.”
The Met Office’s long-range forecast between April 30 and May 9 also hints of temperature going “upwards”.
It reads: “The period is likely to start with areas of organised rain and/or showers in the west, and largely dry conditions in the east although a scattering of showers developing by day.
“As the week progresses thes more organised areas of rain and showers are likely to slide southeast to affect southern parts of the UK, with drier weather in northern, especially northwestern UK Winds will gradually turn from southerly to easterly, with a chance of rain or even thundery showers for a time in the east and southeast.
“Temperatures likely to trend upwards, with the chance of a warm to very warm spell in some southern and eastern parts, before conditions probably turn gradually drier, cooler and more settled from the west towards the end of the period.”
Today:
Often cloudy, with scattered showers. Best of the sunnier breaks towards the north. Rain, heavy at times, developing over southwest England during the day as cloud covers the southern counties. Feeling chilly once more.
Tonight:
Band of thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain moving slowly northwards across the south. Elsewhere showers returning around coasts with clearer spells inland allowing a rural frost across the north.
Saturday:
Cloud and rain continues to push northwards through the morning, easing as it does so. Sunnier spells in the north with some showery outbreaks. More rain in the southeast later.
Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
Turning more unsettled on Sunday after a cool start. Temperatures slowly rising during the period. Rain towards the west to start the working week and drier in the east.
