Weather for New Forest and Christchurch as Met Office predicts the hottest day of the year on Friday

THE New Forest and Christchurch are set to swelter this week in some of the hottest temperatures of the year, says the Met Office.

Early predictions for the country suggest that Friday could be the hottest day so far with the mercury likely to reach the low 30s by the end of the week.

Locally, however, the national weather agency is suggesting numbers in the mid-20s, with Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst and Totton hitting 26C on both Friday and Saturday. The picture is a touch lower elsewhere with Saturday the pick: Ringwood and Lymington set for 25C, New Milton and Fawley 24C and Christchurch 23C.

The Met Office has said temperatures will also rise steadily as we move through the week.

Steven Keates from the Met Office said: "There’s not been much in the way of exceptionally warm days or hot days yet this year, but that is set to change.

"We’re set to see probably a brief spell of hot weather at the end of this coming week."

A spokesman for the Met Office explained: "A north west-south east contrast in weather patterns is likely across the UK. While cloudy conditions with outbreaks of rain are expected across the north and west, where it will be breezy as well; the south and east will see mainly dry weather with some sunshine.

"Temperatures will be around average in the north, but often feeling warm further south, perhaps very warm or hot conditions in the south east for a time."

And Friday's 'potentially hot' weather could see temperatures in some areas tip 32C by the last day of the working week.

Meteorologist Steven Keates added: "It could possibly be a little hotter than that... mid-30s are possible."

If that prediction is accurate, it would make Britain hotter than Portugal, Jamaica, Costa Rica, the Canary Islands and Cyprus.

However the scorching temperatures could bring with them some risk of rain with the potential for isolated showers and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday.