Lancashire set to bask in glorious three-month heatwave

Following the hottest May on record, the Met Office predicts that the fine weather will continue throughout June, July and August.

Showers and breezy weather will continue to bring temperatures down until around June 25, although according to the Met Office, bright spells are still expected.

From around June 26 weather experts are forecasting a return to drier hotter weather.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "There is a signal that there will be a return to more settled and drier weather through the end of June and the first week of July, but still with a chance of more showery interludes.

"Temperatures are likely to be warmer than average overall both by day and overnight, and there is a possibility of some very warm or even hot spells.

“For June-August, above-average temperatures are more likely than below-average temperatures.

“The probability the UK average temperature for June-August will fall into the warmest of our five categories is 40 per cent. The coldest of our five categories is around 5 per cent.

“The likelihood of above-average temperatures is greater than usual.

“The Met Office long-range prediction system shows a slightly increased chance of high-pressure patterns across the UK.”

Other forecasters are saying we could even see highs of 33C by early July – making it the hottest summer in the UK for 12 years.

Leon Brown, chief forecaster at The Weather Channel, said: “33C is expected by early July as heat from high pressure over Britain builds.”

The bookies, meanwhile, are offering the shortest odds yet on this summer being the warmest since records began.

Ladbrokes slashed its odds to just 5-2 that 2018 will eclipse the scorching heatwave of 2006.

Spokesman Alex Apati said: “Punters and weathermen believe Britain will wilt.”