As the next bank holiday weekend approaches, so also come the breathless promises of a so-called Spanish plume… and a three-month long heatwave.
The term “Spanish plume” refers to a weather phenomenon in which a large southwards dip in the high altitude jet stream develops to the west of Europe, encouraging a deep southerly wind flow.
This pushes hot and humid air from Iberia north and north-east into northern Europe, including the British Isles.
Some outlets are predicting this so-called plume to measure an astonishing 900-miles wide, leading to a sweltering three-month long heatwave.
Sounds dreamy doesn’t it?
But before you crack out the beachwear, the Met Office has stepped in with a quick reality check.
Between now and Friday it’s going to be a mixed bag of rain, with some sunny interludes and some patches of mist and fog.
And sadly, meteorologist Bonnie Diamond informs HuffPost UK that the Met Office has firmly ruled out any hints of a Spanish plume entirely, which she suspects was worked out by other forecasters relying on outdated models from the past bank holiday weekend.
She said: “It will be more or less mild for the first half of the week, turning colder as we approach the weekend.
“Winds from a northerly direction will be picking up by Friday and Saturday, bringing colder air to the UK, with highs just about stretching to 12-14C in the south, making it colder than what we might expect for the start of May, where temperatures usually average between 15-16C.
“There will be high pressure around and a fair amount of sunshine for western parts of the country but showers in the north east. Snow is forecast for higher ground and northern Scotland.”
The Met Office website adds: “During the bank holiday weekend a pattern of generally dry weather is likely to develop, with some sunshine across most parts, although western and northern areas may eventually see some unsettled and windier conditions later.
“After a cold start for many, day time temperatures are more likely to become warm again by the end of the weekend. Nights may be fairly cold, with some late frost likely.”
So not quite the Mediterranean idyll some of the other publications have been promising.
