Hotter than Ibiza: Temperatures to hit 24C as Brits enjoy hottest day of the year so far

6 May 2022, 10:21 | Updated: 6 May 2022, 17:40

Britain could be on course for the hottest day of the year so far on Friday with temperatures set to soar higher than Ibiza.

An early summer heatwave is set to hurl temperatures into the mid-20Cs - with forecasters predicting it could become the hottest day of the year so far.

It's predicted that if the record isn't set today, there's a good chance it'll be surpassed within the next few days - as the warm weather will continue into the weekend.

The current record for the hottest day of 2022 is the 23C that was recorded on April 15 in St James Park, London. The Good Friday record is set to be broken once again in the south east of England.

Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said: "It's possible we could see the warmest day in parts of the South East. If we don't see it on Friday, we'll likely see it at least on one day next week."

She added: "Average temperatures at this point in early May is about 17C (63F) for London and somewhere around 15C (59F) outside of that.

"It's quite likely we'll see those warm and much warmer than average temperatures across the UK."

Read More: London weather: When is the nine-day mini heatwave?

Read More: UK Bank Holiday weather: 22C heat declared on hottest day of year so far

Ms Shuttleworth also warned of the high UV rays that'll be a consequence of the warm weather.

"UV levels will likely be high. Some protection is advised, and long periods in the sunshine not recommended."

The mercury is expected to peak at 25C, or 26C in the South in the latter half of next week - with Scotland set to see highs of around 20C.

People in the capital are set to see temperatures of 24C - with that number potentially increasing to as high as 26C.

The incoming warm weather will also see Britain become a hotter destination than Barcelona, Ibiza, Malta, Majorca, Marseille, and Tenerife.

Read More: Baking Bank Holiday: UK to bask in 22C over Easter weekend

Marseille will see patches of rain with highs of 19C, while Barcelona and Ibiza are both set to hit 20C despite seeing sunny weather.

Malta will see clear skies with temperatures of 21C, while Tenerife only slightly warmer at 22C.

Majorca looks to be the closest rival to match Britain's spring scorcher with temperatures reaching 23C highs.

The Met Office's three-month summer outlook predicts the higher-than-average weather to continue in the coming months.

"Predictions are consistent in suggesting an increase in the likelihood of temperatures being above average overall.

"While this doesn't necessarily mean heatwaves will occur, it does increase the likelihood of heatwaves compared to normal."