Britain is set to be hotter than Ibiza this week as temperatures soar to 75.2F during the fifth week of the nation’s coronavirus lockdown.
Thursday and Friday will see temperatures reach sweltering highs in London, with the capital expected to also be hotter than Lanzarote and Corfu as the warmest April in almost a decade continues.
But despite the weather, many of the UK’s beaches and parks will be empty as Britons are urged to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 129,000 and killed 17,337 across the country.
Forecasters said the expected heatwave is due to a large area of high pressure to the north of England making the days clear and bright. A weather map showed the giant zone stretching from Scandinavia to Ireland.
London is forecast to see the hottest temperatures on Thursday, with the mercury rising to 75.2F (24C).
Elsewhere, temperatures are forecast to reach 73.4F (23C) in Wales and south-west England, 64.4F (18C) in Scotland and 66.2F (19C) in Northern Ireland.
Pictured: A man enjoys the sunshine in Westgate Gardens, Canterbury on Tuesday as sweltering temperatures are expected to hit the UK at the end of the week
The anticipated weather is well above the average high of 53.6F (12C) in April for the UK and would be the hottest the nation has been in this month since 2011.
Friday will see temperatures drop slightly to 73F (23C) in the capital, 71.6F (22C) in Wales and south-west England and 64F (18C) in Scotland.
Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst added there was also a ‘low chance’ of isolated showers in the west of the UK, but said most areas will remain dry.
Temperatures will hit 71.6F (22C) on Wednesday for many parts of the UK, while the east coast and Scotland will see the mercury fall to 53.6F (12C) to 57.2F (14C).
Pictured: A cyclist rides a penny-farthing near Battersea in London as the UK enters its fifth week of coronavirus lockdown
Thursday and Friday will see temperatures reach sweltering highs, with London expected to also be hotter than Lanzarote and Corfu as the warmest April in almost a decade continues (Pictured: Badger the Border Collie in Shrawley Wood, Worcestershire)
A cyclist passes Wisteria in bloom outside Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London as the country prepares for a heatwave
London is forecast to see the hottest temperatures on Thursday, with the mercury rising to 75.2F (24C) (Pictured: a man walks his dog by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire)
Mr Dewhurst told the Evening Standard: ‘There will be highs of about 24C on Thursday and Friday in London.
‘Generally, temperatures will be in the high teens to low 20s for most. The average for this time of year should be about 14 to 15C.’
It was even suggested temperatures in Greater London and southern England had the potential to climb to 77F (25C) towards the end of the week.
Ibiza is expected to see temperatures of 66F (19C) on Thursday and Friday, and Lanzarote, on the Canary Islands, will hit highs of 69F (21C).
Ibiza is expected to see temperatures of 66F (19C) on Thursday and Friday, and Lanzarote, on the Canary Islands, will hit highs of 69F (21C)
Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut odds to 4/5 on this week beating the hottest day of the year so far when 79F (26C) was recorded in Treknow, Cornwall, on April 10
Pictured: Bamburgh Castle behind a field in Northumberland as sweltering temperatures are expected to hit the UK at the end of the week
Gardens and Estates Operations Manager Graham Dillamore tends to wallflowers and tulips in the Pond Garden at Hampton Court Palace, in south west London
Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut odds to 4/5 on this week beating the hottest day of the year so far when 79F (26C) was recorded in Treknow, Cornwall, on April 10.
Mr Dewhurst said: ‘There will be a bit of fog to start the day on Thursday, but that will clear up pretty quickly and there will be bright, warm sunshine across the whole UK. This will be the same for Friday, which could be hotter in some areas.
‘This is because of a large area of high pressure that is hanging north of the UK. It also helps that there has been consecutive days of clear, hot days that have kept it going.’
Met Office forecaster Bonnie Diamond told the Sun: ‘I wouldn’t rule out the likes of Greater London areas and southern regions even reaching 25C.’
Pictured: The sun rises behind St Mary’s Lighthouse near Whitley Bay, Northumberland on Tuesday