Hot and sunny weather is set to sweep the UK, with forecasts indicating Friday could be the hottest day of the year so far.
Parts of the country are expected to see temperatures above 33C (91F), potentially surpassing the 33.3C recorded at Heathrow Airport on June 25.
It follows an unseasonably cool July, which has seen a monthly average of just 14.1C (57F) and high of 28.5C (83F).
But while the weather will remain very warm in the south of England on Saturday, conditions will become considerably colder across the UK as the weekend develops.
Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said Thursday would see the first of the warmer temperatures, with 29C and sunny spells in the south despite periods of rain clearing northwards across Scotland for most of the day.
“The weather will be heating up over the next 48 hours as we draw in warmer air from the south,” she said.
“Friday will be hotter with plenty of sunshine across the majority of England, Wales and Scotland.
“Widely, temperatures will be reaching highs in the late 20s or early 30s, and highs of 33-34C in parts of the South are possible.
“If the mercury goes higher than 33.4C then it will be the highest temperature of the year so far.”
Large crowds flocked to Weymouth beach in Dorset on Wednesday
Warmer weather at Cardiff Castle this week
But, she warned, the country was not about to enjoy a prolonged heatwave.
“The hot spell will be short-lived as a cold front will spread eastwards, bringing spells of rain across Ireland and Northern Ireland on Friday, and through the night and into Saturday the front will continue eastwards,” she said.
“This will mean a change in wind direction through the weekend and therefore temperatures will drop to around the seasonal average for many places, although Saturday will still be very warm in the South.”
She added that thunderstorms could break out across central and eastern parts of the UK later on Friday, while warning that UV levels would be high for most places – and very high for the southwest of England.
