READING is set to be hotter than Barbados this week as a short-lived summer heatwave hits the country.

This Saturday saw the town's temperature reach the highest of the year at 26.6°C.

But on Tuesday the mercury is expected to soar to a sweltering 31°C - higher than what is predicted in the Caribbean.

Weather experts at the University of Reading have said the boom in heat is caused by an area of high pressure passing over the UK.

Dr Roger Brugge, a meteorologist based at the university, said: "However, at night it will also feel uncomfortably warm – with temperatures in Reading not dropping below 17 °C tonight (Tuesday morning) and possibly remaining as high as 20 °C under light winds into Wednesday morning – leading to a couple of sleepless nights for many.

"By way of comparison, in the summer of 2015 33.5 °C was reached in Reading – but no night remained above 18.5 °C.

"The warmth will probably be short-lived, however.

"By Thursday a cold front is expected to have passed over Reading from the west, possibly bringing some welcome rainfall to our gardens, and leading to daytime temperatures closer to 22-23 °C."

For more details about the town's weather follow the meteorology team on www.met.reading.ac.uk/weatherdata/Reading_climate_plots.html