RUNCORN and Widnes are set to be warmer than Turkey on Friday as warm weather arrives in the borough.

Temperatures are set to rise as the working week progresses, with thermometers predicted to reach around 28C.

This is compared to a measly 25C in the Turkish capital of Istanbul.

Across the UK, sunbathers have been warned against ‘overdoing it’ while enjoying the sunshine, with very high UV levels expected.

Dan Rudman, the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, said: “Temperatures will continue to rise as we go through the week, becoming well above-average by Friday.

“Many parts of the southern half of the UK are likely to exceed 30C, and may even reach 34C in some places.

“This is the first spell of hot weather this year, and it is unusual for temperature to exceed these values in June.

“Many areas will also see some warm nights, with minimum temperatures expected to be in the high teens or even low 20Cs for some.

A level two heat-health alert has been issued for the much of southern and central England, with a level one alert in place for northern England. 

Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UK Health Security Agency, added: “Temperatures are forecast to reach 30C in some parts of the south on Friday.

“We want everyone to enjoy the hot weather safely when it arrives and be aware of good health advice for coping with warmer conditions.

“During periods of hot weather, it is especially important to keep checking on those who are most vulnerable, such as older people and those with heart or lung conditions.

“Make sure to look out for signs of heat exhaustion and follow our simple health advice to beat the heat.”

A UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.

Although some parts of England may perhaps meet these heat wave criteria, it looks like this spell of warm weather will be relatively short-lived.

Milder conditions look likely to return later in the weekend, with temperatures trending back to around average for June as we see cooler air push across the country from the north west.