Met Office forecast predicts which UK areas are set to reach 27C next week

Sunshine is set to grace the UK with temperatures reaching 27C in parts

Temperatures are set to reach a whopping 27C in parts of the UK next week, falling "just outside" the threshold of an official heatwave - according to the Met Office..

The UK weather agency has explained that the incoming spell of "much warmer weather" is thanks to an "amplified" jet stream. They wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "A spell of much warmer weather is on the way next week.

"As the jet stream becomes more amplified this weekend, Met Office maps shows which UK areas set to reach 27C next week a 'blocked' weather pattern will develop across northwest Europe - but how long this lasts for is uncertain."

The Met Office has described that "blocked weather" refers to weather fronts that stay where they are, or go from east to west (as opposed to the usual movement of west to east. It means that a big area of high pressure is remaining almost stationary over the same area for a long time.

Met Office forecasts suggest temperatures could hit 27C on Wednesday (April 30). Current temperature maps show highs of 25C in London at 4pm on Wednesday. Greater Manchester could also see temperatures of 24C at this time.

David Oliver, Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, said: "Despite media speculation, next week’s conditions are likely to fall just outside of official Met Office heatwave thresholds.

"However, this shouldn’t lead to any disappointment as many can anticipate a very fine spell of weather with temperatures reaching 27C during the middle of the week."

According to the Met Office, the lowest threshold for a heatwave across the UK is temperatures higher than 25C over a three-day period. It has said that above average temperatures are "likely" across the UK for the second half of next week, but it is "highly unlikely" to reach the heatwave threshold.

Greater Manchester is forecast to reach 25C on Wednesday, April 30.

With the warmer weather comes high UV rays, and the Met Office has warned Brits to protect their skin with sun cream if they plan to spend time in the sun.

And on top of that, the UK weather agency has warned of a high pollen count over the next few days. People who suffer from hay fever can check the Met Office pollen forecast for the next five days to check whether they need to protect themselves.

Looking ahead at the UK-wide forecast for the period between April 29 and May 8, the Met Office has forecast: "Widely fine and dry across the majority of the UK for the first couple of days of this forecast period.

"Clear or sunny spells are likely across most regions, although the north and northwest of Scotland and Northern Ireland could be cloudier with a little light rain or drizzle at times. Into early May, it will probably begin to turn more changeable, with dry, settled periods interspersed with some spells of unsettled weather."