Tropical weather across the UK for bank holiday weekend with hotter temperatures to come

  • Weather
Beachgoers in Bournemouth were enjoying the hot Bank Holiday weather on Saturday Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA

The UK basked in late summer sunshine as temperatures hit more than 30C and reached a record-breaking bank holiday high in Wales.

Gogerddan, near Aberystwyth, recorded 27.4C on Saturday – a new record for the highest late August holiday weekend temperature in the country.

The mercury rose to 30.5C at Heathrow, west London, a degree shy of the record set in the same location in 2001.

The sunshine is set to continue throughout the long weekend, with even hotter temperatures expected, possibly reaching a record high of 33C, most likely in the south-east of England, on Monday.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “Going forward into tomorrow, for many of us it will be another sunny day.

“Tomorrow is the day when we possibly will break the record for the whole of the UK. And if it’s not tomorrow it could be Monday.”

Temperatures have also been high in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Credit: PA

Aberdeenshire in Scotland could see 29C on Sunday, while Northern Ireland is likely to enjoy 24C.

Across the country, where daytime temperatures are not forecast to drop below the low 20s right through the bank holiday, many people made the most of the hot weather and time off.

Sunseekers, some taking a dip in the sea and others lying out on sunloungers, flocked to Bournemouth beach on Saturday while others played volleyball on nearby Boscombe beach.

The sun was shining on Boscombe beach as players enjoyed a game of volleyball Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA

People attending Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday and Monday – expected to number one million – have been advised to stay hydrated amid temperatures which are forecast to reach 30C on both days.

Mr Snell said: “People certainly need to bring plenty of water with them and slap on the sun cream.”

Other popular events on this weekend are Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Manchester Pride, and Creamfields, near Warrington in Cheshire.

Anyone travelling over the weekend has been advised by the RAC to pack enough food and water and plan enough breaks for the journey.

Much of the country, including fishermen in Whitley Bay, has enjoyed high temperatures. Credit: PA

Saturday’s high in Wales beat the previous record for the hottest late summer bank holiday of 27.3C (81.1F) at Velindre, Powys, in 2013.

The Northern Ireland record stands at 27C (80.6F) recorded in Knockaraven, Co Fermanagh, in 2003.

Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland.