UK weather - Britain to be hotter than Ibiza this Bank Holiday weekend before 25C two-week heatwave
Sophia Hammond
Updated on March 22, 2026
SUN-STARVED Britain is set to be hotter than Ibiza this Bank Holiday weekend - before a two-week heatwave.
Temperatures are forecast to hit a balmy 24C over the next few days.
18
18
And it's going to get even hotter as the mercury rises to 25C during a two-week heatwave.
The Met Office said temperatures will soar to 24C on Sunday and Monday - while Ibiza struggles to hit 21C.
It comes as the mercury climbed above 20C today for only the second time this month.
Spring has been plagued by thunderstorms and gales, a stark contrast to the balmy sunshine this time last year.
Wales has suffered its wettest May on record, with figures going back to 1862 - and there's still another week of the month to go.
But forecasters are predicting the Bank Holiday weekend will be brighter and warmer, with London and central parts of England set to be hotspots.
Stephen Dixon, of the Met Office, said: “Warmer weather is on the horizon for much of the UK with temperatures picking up from [today].
18
18
18
18
18
18
“Heading into the weekend, the temperatures are improving with dry and sunny conditions after what has been a very wet May across the UK. Temperatures will be back to average for this time of year.”
Temperatures haven’t been as high since March 30, when 24.5C was recorded in London.
Other parts of the South East, Wales and North West, are predicted to see top temperatures of around 20C.
Met Office forecaster Oli Claydon, said: "Showers will start to ease and temperatures will increase over the bank holiday.
"There'll be highs of up to 23C for central parts of England and possibly into London.
"There is a slow progression towards warmer and drier conditions."
18
18
18
18
And it's set to continue for the first half of June as the Met Office's long range forecast predicts the heatwave will stay for up to two weeks.
The first week will see the warm, settled conditions we see this weekend continue.
And for the second week above average temperatures remain, however there will be some showers.
The bright spell is set to see millions of cooped-up Brits flocking to the coast in the coming months - with this summer tipped to be the busiest on record for beachgoers.
A Royal National Lifeboat Institution poll of people aged 16 to 64 suggests 75 per cent – roughly 30 million – expect to visit the UK coast between April and September, The Mirror reports.
Gareth Morrison, the RNLI’s head of water safety, said: “We are expecting this summer to be the busiest ever for our lifeguards and volunteer lifeboat crews.
"This is very concerning.
"Our main advice is to visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.”
Traffic jams have also been predicted ahead of the weekend, as 11million vehicles take to the roads between tomorrow and bank holiday Monday.
The RAC said delays could be heaviest on routes such as the M5 southbound towards Devon, and the M6 northbound towards the Lake District.
18
18
18
It comes after the wet weather has dominated the forecast this month, with Wales having recorded 200.7mm of rain.
This was double the monthly average - making it the wettest May in records dating back to 1862.
Dorset, Bristol and eastern parts of Scotland have also been particularly hard-hit by downpours.
Across the UK as a whole, it has been the 10th wettest May on record, according to figures from the Met Office.
While we can expect some respite over the weekend, it looks like the sunny spell could be short-lived.
Forecasters are warning showers and cooler weather could return early next week.
Claydon said the biggest difference between last May and this one isn't temperatures, but sunshine.
Most read in News
"May 2020 was the sunniest month on record," he said.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"It wasn't necessarily particularly hot.
"It was above average in terms of temperatures, but it wasn't a record-breaking month for warmth."
18
18
18
