GFS Weather Maps Predict 26C May Heatwave As 74 UK Areas Hit 20C

Weather forecasting maps using the GFS weather model are pointing to a warm spell at the start of May, with temperatures potentially soaring to as high as 26C in some parts of the UK.

“UK weather maps show 26C heat but Northern Ireland stuck below 20C Temperatures are set to rise across the UK in early May, with some areas set to see highs of 26C, according to the GFS weather model”

Belfast Live

The data shows that up to 74 counties and county boroughs across England, Scotland and Wales could see temperatures rise to or above 20C at the beginning of May.

Belfast Live

Northern Ireland is expected to lag behind, with temperatures only forecast to reach 19C.

The GFS model indicates temperatures will begin rising on 4 May, with 21C and 22C expected across large swathes of southern and central England.

North Wales could see highs of 21C at around 6pm, according to the maps.

The mercury is then forecast to keep climbing throughout the week, reaching 24C in the south-east on 5 May as London gets the best of the heat.

The warmest day of the period is predicted to be 6 May, with highs of 26C in and around London, while the Midlands, Yorkshire and East Anglia could see highs of 24C or 25C.

Across the three-day period described in the forecasts, the maps lay out a step-by-step rise in temperatures beginning May 4 and peaking May 6.

The GFS weather model indicates temperatures will begin climbing on 4 May, hitting 21C and 22C across large swathes of southern and central England.

Daily Express

By May 5, the warm spell is forecast to peak at 24C in the south-east, with London getting the best of the heat, while parts of Scotland could nudge 20C at 6pm.

Wales is forecast to reach highs of 23C, and the Midlands, Yorkshire and East Anglia could all see highs of between 24C and 25C.

The warmest day is predicted to be May 6, when temperatures of up to 26C are expected in and around the capital.

One report also notes that temperatures are expected to be several notches cooler in Northern Ireland and Scotland, even as other regions warm.

Another outlet frames the same pattern as the warm spell intensifying into May 5, with south-east England including London climbing to 24C, before May 6 brings the highest readings around London.

Despite the forecasted warmth, the reports emphasize that the period is not anticipated to qualify as an official heatwave under the Met Office criteria described in the articles.

“UK weather maps show 26C heat surge as 74 areas face May scorcher – full list The UK is set for a warm spell at the start of May, with weather maps showing 74 counties and county boroughs across England, Scotland and Wales could see temperatures rise to or above 20C – with highs of 26C possible Weather forecasting maps indicate that temperatures could soon soar to as high as 26C in some parts of the UK”

Yorkshire Live

One outlet says that the warm spell at the beginning of May is not anticipated to constitute an official heatwave, explaining that an official heatwave is declared when temperatures reach or exceed the heatwave threshold for three consecutive days.

The heatwave threshold ranges from 25C to 28C across the UK, with the threshold at 28C in the south-east of England where temperatures tend to be higher and dropping to 25C further north.

Another report similarly states that a formal heatwave is only confirmed when temperatures meet or surpass the heatwave threshold over three successive days, and it reiterates that the heatwave threshold fluctuates between 25C and 28C throughout the UK.

It also notes that it sits at 28C in south-eastern England where conditions tend to be hotter, and decreases to 25C the further north one travels.

Belfast Live adds that the Met Office criteria for an official heatwave are not expected to be met, describing the definition as temperatures reaching or exceeding a certain threshold for three consecutive days, varying across the UK.

It concludes that Northern Ireland would still need to see higher temperatures sustained over several days to qualify, given that the south-east threshold is 28C and drops to around 25C further north.

The forecasts also include a detailed list of the counties and county boroughs across England, Scotland and Wales that could see temperatures of 20C or above during the three-day spell.

One report states that in total, the maps show 74 counties or county boroughs could see highs of 20C or above across this three-day period, and it specifies that the south-east of England will experience the hottest temperatures.

Belfast Live

The list includes areas such as Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, City of London, Cornwall, County Durham, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Essex and Gloucestershire.

It also names Greater London, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Somerset, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear, Warwickshire, West Midlands, West Sussex, West Yorkshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire.

For Wales, the list includes Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Newport.

For Scotland, it lists Roxburghshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Morayshire, Banffshire and Kirkcudbrightshire as part of the counties that could reach 20C or above.

Yorkshire Live presents the same overall structure, describing “74 counties and county boroughs across England, Scotland and Wales” and then reproducing a comparable list of named areas.

Looking ahead within the forecast window, the articles repeatedly point to the specific dates when temperatures are expected to rise and peak, and they frame Northern Ireland’s cooler outlook as a key contrast.

“Temperatures could soon soar to 26C in some parts of the UK, according to weather forecasting maps”

Daily Express

The GFS model indicates that temperatures begin rising on 4 May, with 21C and 22C across southern and central England, before the warm spell peaks at 24C in the south-east on 5 May.

Daily Express

The warmest day is predicted to be 6 May, when highs of 26C are expected in and around London, while parts of Scotland could nudge 20C at 6pm and Wales could see highs of 23C.

Belfast Live underscores that Northern Ireland is expected to remain cooler throughout the period, with temperatures only forecast to peak at around 19C and to fall short of the 20C mark.

It also reiterates that the Met Office criteria for an official heatwave are not expected to be met, because the threshold varies across the UK and Northern Ireland would need higher temperatures sustained over several days.

Daily Express similarly notes that the warm spell is not anticipated to constitute an official heatwave, even though the maps show 74 counties or county boroughs could see highs of 20C or above.

Taken together, the reporting sets up a clear expectation for a May 4-to-May 6 temperature ramp, with the highest readings concentrated around London and the south-east while Northern Ireland remains below 20C.