Portsmouth '˜to bask' in three-month summer heatwave as temperatures to hit 33C across country

Portsmouth looks set to continue to bask in the warm weather over the coming months, following the hottest May on record.

The Met Office is forecasting ‘above-average’ temperatures for June, July and August leading bookies to slash odds on this summer being the warmest since records began.

While other forecasters are predicting that we could see highs of 33C by July, which would make it the hottest summer in the UK for 12 years - if you needed another excuse to head down to the beer garden or the beach on the weekend.

A Met Office spokesman said: ‘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.’

So if you haven’t booked in a holiday for this summer yet don’t fret because Portsmouth and the rest of the country could be feeling very Mediterranean over the next three months.

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

And the forecasts have caused bookies to offer the shortest odds yet on this summer being the warmest on record.

With Ladbrookes slashing its odds to just 5-2 on 2018 eclipsing the scorching heatwave of 2006.

Spokesman Alex Apati said: ‘Punters and weathermen believe Britain will wilt.’