Weather forecasters are predicting that a mini heatwave could arrive in the UK this month, and it’s set to bring highs of 23°C.
Following what the Met Office said was an April where average maximum temperatures were generally above normal, and the UK had around a third less rain than usual for a month known for showers and downpours, Greater Manchester and much of the country could soon be set to bask in some “very warm” weather.
Temperatures could start peaking in the mid-20s later this month, according to the Met Office’s senior operational meteorologist, Marco Petagna.
“Temperatures are several degrees above where they should be at this time of year,” he said.
He added that there was a “small chance” that temperatures could rise into the mid-twenties as early as over the next couple of days, which would mean a “brief” heatwave, but many parts of the UK can expect it to heat up from next week.
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It's set to turn a bit warmer over the coming days, with temperatures creeping into the low 20s in the warmest spots 📈 pic.twitter.com/XQwbUrQxAn
The Met Office defines a heatwave as an “extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year”.
This may be accompanied by “high humidity”.
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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 – which varies by county.
“High pressure has been the prime influence of UK weather in April 2022, bringing with it a good period of calm and settled weather,” added Dr Mark McCarthy, of the National Climate Information Centre.
Greater Manchester could soon be set to bask in some “very warm” weather / Credit: Pxfuel
The UK’s hottest day so far this year was Good Friday, when 23.4°C (74F) was recorded in St James’s Park in central London.
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Across Greater Manchester today, following a couple of heavy downpours yesterday, it is forecast to be a much more settled and dry day, with temperatures looking to reach around 17°C, and cloudy and sunny intervals throughout the day.
The rain will unfortunately return on Friday afternoon, with temperatures sitting at 17°C again.
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You can get FREE carrots for Santa’s reindeers from Morrisons this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Morrisons is back giving away carrots to feed Santa’s hungry reindeers for free this Christmas weekend.
Isn’t this just the cutest thing ever?
With the most wonderful time of the year officially here, and the big day itself just a few days away now, the supermarket retailer has decided it’s time to spread some festive cheer and help families prepare for Father Christmas’ visit by giving away more than 185,000 wonky carrots at all its stores across the UK – including those in Greater Manchester.
British wonky carrots are oversized or misshapen, but Morrisons insists they “still taste delicious” – and we don’t think Rudolph and his pals would disagree.
Morrisons is giving away free carrots for Santa’s reindeers this weekend / Credit: Morrisons | Wikimedia Commons
During the festive season, carrot sales at Morrisons more than double in the week before Christmas compared to the previous week, which just proves that the tradition of leaving food and drink out for the big man in red is still as popular as ever.
By giving the carrots away for free, Morrisons says it hopes to encourage shoppers to choose wonky vegetables more often.
Wonky veg is great for reducing food waste, as this produce would’ve otherwise been discarded.
The free carrots are available for anyone to collect at the front of all Morrisons stores across the UK from this Saturday and Sunday (21 and 22 December).
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Manchester ranked among the worst UK cities for throwing away food at Christmas
Emily Sergeant
A new survey has ranked Manchester among the worst cities in the UK when it comes to throwing away leftover food at Christmas.
If there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that a lot of food gets consumed during Christmas time, but unfortunately, what then comes along with that, is a lot of food getting thrown away too – with a new study revealing that British families are expected to bin nearly £300 million worth of festive food this year alone.
And sadly, Manchester has been named one of the top festive food waste hotspots.
Ahead of the festive season, leading electricals retailer, AO.com, is on a mission to help Brits cut back on their food waste, as 54% of Mancs have admitted to chucking out leftovers.
The survey found that, on average, a British family spends £136 on their Christmas food shopping, but 11% of that goes to waste.
This equates to a whopping £292,822,360 in Christmas food waste in total this year.
With almost 78% of survey respondents saying they would prefer to have their meals at home during the Christmas period, rather than dining out, the research uncovered that a quarter of Brits often throw away their Brussels sprouts, while one in 10 even admitted to binning everyone’s festive favourite, pigs in blankets.
Manchester has ranked among the worst UK cities for throwing away food at Christmas / Credit: Freepik | Flickr
Other northern cities ranking alongside Manchester in the not-so-coveted list of highest festive food waste offenders include Newcastle and Sheffield.
The capitals of London, Edinburgh, and Belfast also feature.
The news that Manchester has been named a festive food waste capital comes after a shocking study, also by AO, revealed back in August that Mancs throw away more than £1,000 of ‘freezable’ food every year too.
Emily Sergeant -
5th May 2022 
