'Heatwave': The Met Office says exactly when it could start heating up

The Met Office has mentioned the word 'heatwave' as a possibility for early to mid next week as a stubborn low pressure system is elbowed out of the way by high pressure.

David Hayter, a Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “As we go through the weekend, the jet stream will weaken to the west of the UK generating an area of high pressure that will slowly move in across the UK.

"High pressure means the air is sinking from higher in the atmosphere and that brings drier, settled and sunnier weather.

“Temperatures will rise too, becoming widely above average. We could see maxima of 27°C in the south and 25°C in the northeast by Sunday."

The sky-watching scientists say conditions look to turn increasingly warm, or even hot, in central, southern and eastern areas early next week and it is possible some places may reach heatwave criteria.

"It’s uncertain how long this warmer weather will last though, with a possible breakdown from mid-week," they add.

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.

In Shropshire that threshold is 26C.

And the week ahead forecast for Shrewsbury on Friday afternoon says a top temperature on Saturday of 20C is set to increase to a balmy 25C on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, before dropping back again.

That's all after Saturday which is forecast to be a day of sunny spells and showers.

"The showers will be heaviest in parts of Scotland, northern England, Wales and the Midlands, with the possibility of some isolated thunder," the Met Office says.

"Temperatures will be close to average, but again feeling warm in the sunshine.

"Sunday looks to be the best day of the weekend, with a fine and dry day for many."