Hawarden recorded the UK’s highest temperature of 2018 this afternoon at over 30º

UK Temperature records for 2018 have broken this afternoon after the Hawarden Airport based weather station recorded a temperature of 30.2ºC –  (86.4ºF)

The country is officially experiencing a heatwave and temperatures could reach a high of 33C (91.4F) by the end of the week in some parts of the UK.

High pressure is continuing to bring a spell of fine, dry, sunny and warm weather to the vast majority of the UK into the weekend.

🔥🔥🔥 Hawarden now topping the UK temperature table at 30º 🎼Feelin Hot Hot Hot! – 🥵🥵 pic.twitter.com/iNO1KKPrZa

— Deeside.com (@DeesideDotCom) June 26, 2018

Paul Gundersen, Met Office Chief Meteorologist, said:

“For the first time this year, we have seen temperatures very locally top 30.0 °C, with 30.1 °C on Monday. However, we are anticipating that temperatures will increase further over the next couple of days and remain high by the weekend: it’s possible that some locations could reach 32.0 °C.

“The focus for the highest temperatures is expected to shift towards the west of the UK into the middle of the week, and then northwest, before temperatures potentially begin to hot up again in the south over the weekend.”

By the weekend, especially on Sunday, there is some indication that a spell of thundery weather could move in from the Continent to affect some southern areas of the UK.  But, Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris added:

“There is currently a high level of uncertainty in the forecast over the weekend; we are still several days away and the signals from the various models could easily switch back towards a more settled story in the south as we get closer to the time. Confidence is low, but there is an increasing chance that humid weather with thunderstorms could affect the south in particular, and perhaps more generally early next week, before a most probable return to fresher, more changeable weather.”

🚨Breaking 🚨 It’s the hottest day of the year, so far (since yesterday) 30.2C at Hawarden in Wales. #melting #summer #sun #Heatwaveuk @GMB #EnjoyItWhileItLasts pic.twitter.com/FYKtD5K1f9

— Laura Tobin (@Lauratobin1) June 26, 2018

The UK June temperature record is 35.6°C, recorded at Camden Square on 29 June 1957 and Southampton on 28 June 1976.

Wales’ record for June is 33.7 °C on 18 June 2000 at Machynlleth, 32.2 °C in Scotland on 18 June 1893 at Ochtertyre and 30.8 °Celsius in Northern Ireland on 30 June 1976 in Co. Fermanagh.

Why is Hawarden always mentioned in local weather updates?

The Met Office has a weather station network across the whole UK, with more than 200 automatic stations including one at Hawarden Airport.

‘These weather stations measure a large variety of different meteorological parameters, including air temperature; atmospheric pressure; rainfall; wind speed and direction, humidity; cloud height and visibility.’ The Met Office says.

Weather station sites are selected to ensure that the observations are representative of the wider area around the station and not unduly influenced by local effects.

Stations are usually around 40 km apart, enabling us to record the weather associated with the typical low pressure and frontal systems that cross the UK.

Weather stations – hourly observations

UK weather station locations