UK weather: Could heatwave temperatures hit 40C for first time ever this weekend?

ITV Weather Presenter Ruth Dodsworth explains why 40C temperatures are a possibility this weekend

The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Gardens on July 25, 2019.

The rumours out there are that we could hit 40C by the time we get to the coming weekend.

That's because of a plume of very hot air that is rising through Spain and Portugal and up through France. It will hit the south of the UK by the time we get to the end of the week.

As that hot air travels, it loses some of its intensity. So yes - it is going to be very, very hot - but the possibility of hitting 40C currently stands at around 10%.

Those temperatures are most likely in the southeast of the UK and in London in particular.

In Wales, temperatures are expected to be at around the mid-to-high 30s, which is still very hot indeed.

The last time we hit 35C or higher in the UK was back in 2020 - so you could actually say it's about time it happened again.

Enjoy it if you can - but just be careful.