Will Peterborough hit 30C over the Spring bank holiday weekend? Exactly when it’s forecast to be hottest as health alerts issued
The UK Health Security Agency has issued heat health alerts for Peterborough
Peterborough is set to bask in temperatures of nearly 30C over the Spring bank holiday weekend, with the UK Health Security Agency having issued a five-day heat health alert for the city.
Warm air blowing from the south will bring summer-like temperatures to Peterborough between Friday, May 22 and Wednesday, May 27.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tony Wisson said: “The weather later this week will feel like a marked contrast from recent days, with warm, fine and settled weather for many. “While the warmth will persist through the Bank Holiday weekend, conditions will turn more unsettled later Friday and into Saturday, with a mix of cloud, showers and longer spells of rain. “There is also the chance of thundery rain in places. Nonetheless, temperatures should remain warm or very warm through Saturday and into Sunday, with highs around 26°C in the south across the weekend and into next week.” There is a possibility that some parts of the UK will hit 30C, which is irregular for May and hasn’t been seen since 2012.
The yellow UKHSA alert for Peterborough and other parts of England warn of a greater risk to life of vulnerable people and increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people.
When will it be hottest in Peterborough over the Spring bank holiday weekend and will it be a heatwave?
Firstly, it’s worth reminding ourselves what the official definition of a heatwave is here in the UK.
As defined by the Met Office, a UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.
Here in Peterborough that threshold is 28C, meaning the city would have to experience three consecutive days of 28C or above to qualify for a heatwave.
Current forecasts predict highs of 28C and 29C on Sunday (May 24) and Monday (May 25) respectively.
The possibility of the city recording an official heatwave is likely to hinge on whether temperatures climb to 28C on Tuesday (May 26).
According to BBC Weather, the hottest temperatures of the bank holiday are predicted to arrive between 3pm and 5pm on Monday afternoon, with highs of 29C.
To put that into perspective, the average daily temperature in Peterborough during May is 17C.