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Britain is set for a spell of warm weather later this month, with new weather maps predicting a three-day run of temperatures climbing into the mid-20s °C, sparking talk of a "heatwave" as weather maps turn shades of orange and red across large parts of the UK. Brand new weather maps from WX Charts show temperatures pushing to around 25C and above for three consecutive days, with the warmest conditions focused across southern England and the West Midlands, and Wales.

Some of the hottest cities expected to reach 26C include London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Oxford, Brighton and Cambridge. On Friday, May 22, at around 6pm, highs of around 25C are expected across parts of East Sussex and the West Midlands, according to the latest maps. By Saturday, May 23, temperatures are expected to climb further with highs of 26C expected in many counties, including Greater London, Somerset, Kent, West Sussex, East Sussex, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.

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On Sunday at around 6pm, temperatures are forecast to peak again, with 26C possible in parts of Greater London, the South East, South West, and the West Midlands. Some northern areas are also expected to remain warm for the time of year. Even parts of Scotland, including Aberdeenshire, could see highs of about 25C.

Separately, the Met Office's long-range forecast for the period of May 18 to May 27 reads: "Changeable conditions look to dominate at first, with low pressure often close by.

"This means periods of rain or showers, some of which could be heavy and more focussed across northwestern areas. Drier interludes are also expected, most especially across southeastern UK.

"As this period progresses, high pressure is likely to begin to build from the south, bringing more settled weather, although with occasional showers.

"Temperatures near-normal to begin, but tending to recover as the period progresses, perhaps becoming rather warm by the end of the period, especially in the south.

"Winds will be stronger during the first part of the period, generally from a southwesterly direction, before becoming lighter in line with the more settled conditions."

• Bath
• Birmingham
• Brighton
• Bristol
• Cardiff
• Cheltenham
• Derby
• Gloucester
• Leicester
• London
• Newport
• Oxford
• Portsmouth
• Reading
• Salisbury
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Wolverhampton
• Worcester
• Winchester