A raft of teetering heat records could topple through the next 48 hours as Britain’s "exceptional and concerning" heatwave hits boiling point.
June temperature records are likely to be smashed today as the mercury rockets into the upper 30Cs.
Tropical nights will see temperatures fail to dip below 23C in southern and southeastern regions, sparking health-danger alerts.
As Wimbledon takes its first serve in London, experts warn it could be the hottest ever start to the tournament.
A raft of teetering heat records could topple through the next 48 hours as Britain’s "exceptional and concerning" heatwave hits boiling point
WXCHARTS/ Netweather
Astonished weather folk have aired their "concern" as temperatures rocket more than 15C above average for June.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “High pressure building from the south is going to lead to day-by-day temperature rises across the south and the southeast.
“Overnight temperatures are going to be exceptional, and by Monday the lowest temperature overnight will be the low-20Cs in places, and London will start the day with 23C on Tuesday morning.
“With these kind of temperatures, there is some quite concerning weather on the way, and the UK is not set up to cope with these kind of temperatures, and it is looking exceptional when we consider maximum temperatures.”
With the mercury likely to hit the upper-30Cs today, the June record of 35.6C set in 1976 is under threat.
The hottest start to Wimbledon came in at only 29.3C in 2001, meaning records could tumble on Centre Court today.
And the 33.8C record for June 30, set in 1995, will almost certainly crumble through the next 24 hours.
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services and social commentator, said: “Monday is going to be the big one, with temperatures almost certainly going to pass the 34C mark and possibly beating the all-time record.
June temperature records are likely to be smashed today as the mercury rockets into the upper 30Cs
Netweather
“It is going to be the south of the country where this will happen, and here it will be the hottest day of the year so far.
“The heat in the south holds out through Monday and Tuesday before temperatures return to more normal values for the time of year."
While southern regions bake in potentially unprecedented June heat, it is a cooler picture for the northwest.
Weather fronts and westerly winds brushing Scotland and northwestern England will keep thermometers in the mid- to high teens.
Despite freakishly high temperatures, the current meteorological set up of high pressure is not unusual, McGivern explained.
He said: “This kind of setup a few decades ago might not have produced the kinds of temperatures we are talking about, especially for southern parts of the UK, and indeed, it won’t be producing those kinds of temperatures widely.
“Although Monday in many places will be the peak of this heatwave, it is not going to be a heatwave everywhere, and there will be outbreaks of rain and more cloud towards the far northwest of the UK while many other places see those temperatures soaring into the low- to possibly mid-30Cs.
“On Tuesday, a weather front will eventually cross the country and bring cooler air in, but there is some uncertainty over the timing of that.”
AccuWeather lead international forecaster Jason Nicholls added: “It will be hot on Monday and Tuesday across the south of the country, but not as hot in the north with scattered showers.
“It will turn cooler more widely from mid-week.”
Most Read
