Nottingham is set for a very hot Bank Holiday Monday, with temperatures forecast to reach 32C on May 25 as clear skies and light winds take hold across the region. Sunday, May 24, should also bring plenty of sunshine, with highs of up to 27C.
The Met Office said Monday will be sunny and hot across the region, with a maximum of 33C expected in some areas. That would make it far warmer than Ibiza, where tourists are expected to see 24C, putting Nottingham about 8C hotter than the holiday island.
The heat has triggered this year's first amber heat-health alert from the UK Health Security Agency, a warning that runs until 5pm on Wednesday, May 27. The alert covers the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, South East and London, and means the high temperatures may put vulnerable people at increased risk.
That matters because the East Midlands is right in the middle of the first amber warning of the year, and the weather pattern over the Bank Holiday weekend is giving the region a sustained run of warm conditions rather than a brief spike. For people making outdoor plans, the difference between 27C on Sunday and 32C on Monday is enough to turn a sunny holiday weekend into a day that needs a little more care.
The contradiction in the forecast is that the weather will feel like peak summer for Nottingham while much of the country is still early in the season. The heat-health alert is the clearest sign that this is not just a pleasant spell for parks and beer gardens: older people, those with health conditions and anyone struggling to stay cool are the ones most likely to feel it first.
For Nottingham, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Sunday should stay warm and bright, Monday should be hotter still, and the amber alert remains in place through Wednesday evening. The weather is set to deliver the hottest stretch of the week just as the Bank Holiday begins, and the risk message is already in force.
