Wales could be hit with its first “mild heat wave” of the year, with temperatures picking up later this week. A senior meteorologist believes temperatures could reach 20 degrees in the UK from 15 April.

Speaking to The Express, Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist at the British Met Office, said: “We have heat waves in April, it happens. It will be a mild heat wave in the second half of April, could be in the late or mid-20s, extending into May, in that general direction.

“I can’t be too specific at this point, but the signs of this type of reversal are there when you see the charts moving in that direction. The only thing we have to work with is the unpredictability, but it’s certainly going down that path now.”

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It looks like warmer temperatures could be on the way for Wales, with BBC meteorologist Derek Brockway promising spring weather next week. In a tweet, the presenter wrote: “More like winter on Wednesday. But it looks more like spring next week with sunshine and much warmer temperatures during the day.

The Met Office’s long-term forecast for the end of the month also calls for “above average” temperatures. The forecast is for wet weather for the rest of the week, with “heavy rain and strong winds” forecast for Wales on Tuesday, with “risk of strong gales at times”.

“Wet and windy weather” and “sunny and rainy periods” are forecast in the country from Wednesday to Friday. However, the longer-term forecast suggests that the next two weeks are set to heat up. The forecast for April 15-24 reads: “Saturday is likely to be dry for many, with light winds and some sunny spells, although it could be cloudier early on with some rain or drizzle in the southeast.

“Possible southwesterly cloudiness during the day with a chance of rain later. It’s likely to start out cold, with a light frost and some patches of fog across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, then temperatures will rise to normal during the day.

“A west-to-east split develops over the next few days, with rain or showers concentrated mostly in the northwest, although it sometimes shifts to the southeast. A trend towards less unstable weather is more likely towards the end of the period, but particularly in the south and east. It will likely be hot in the sun during the day, but cool nights are still possible.”

At the end of the month, the Met Office predicts UK temperatures will be above average for this time of year. The forecast for April 25th to May 9th reads: “In late April and early May, confidence in the forecast is quite low.

“In general, there is a greater chance that more stable weather will dominate this period, with early morning fogs and late season frosts. However, there is also a possibility of experiencing some unstable or changing time frames. Temperatures will likely be above the general average for the time of year.”

Source: Wales Online