Anyone who lived through last year’s 40°C scorcher will wince at the mere mention of a heatwave.
Thankfully though, the predicted hottest day of the year – set to be this Thursday – is due to peak at a manageable 25°C in the southwest of England.
Meanwhile other parts of the UK are set to experience temperatures in the low 20s.
That would make this Thursday in the UK hotter than parts of Morocco, but it won’t reach the sweating-from-your-nail-beds heat of last year’s record-breaker.
As Met office Chief Forecaster Niel Armstrong says: “If you have heard media hyperbole that a heatwave driven by an African plume will bring intense heat to the UK in the next few days you are going to be disappointed – this isn’t true.
“However, if you are looking forward to a spell of largely fine, sunny and warm conditions across the majority of the UK, then you are going to be in luck.”
The mini heatwave will keep Brits toasty until roughly the first week in June – which means our bank holiday weekend is very much included.
It comes as a result of high pressure, rather than what some are calling an “African plume”, says the Met office.
Last weekend an annual high temp of 23.3°C was recorded in Porthmadog, Wales.
And while in the long run, temperatures in the UK are reaching scary peaks due to climate change, it seems this week is less of a sweaty scorcher and more of a picnic-friendly period.
Of course, experts recommend you still regularly apply sunscreen, wear a broad-rimmed hat, stay hydrated and stay in the shade during the hottest parts of the day, where possible.
But fellow heat-haters, fear not – the humid days of horror are not here quite yet.
So, it’s good news for sunbathers, but bad news for anyone who likes quiet beaches and a pub you’ll be able to move in over the bank holiday weekend.