Record temperatures expected before thunderstorms bring end to fine weather

The UK is expected to experience its hottest temperatures of the year so far this weekend before thunderstorms and heavy rain put an end to a week of sunshine on Sunday afternoon.

The Met Office said the mercury is expected to peak at around 25C on Saturday and 27C on Sunday.

Simon Partridge, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “There’s a good possibility that we could beat Thursday’s record temperatures today and just sneak over the 25C mark – we’re already seeing temperatures around 23 and a half degrees, surprisingly, across the central belt of Scotland.”

He said the warmest temperatures on Saturday afternoon are likely to be “along a corridor of clear skies and sunshine stretching up just north west of London” through the centre of England.

The UK recorded its highest temperature of the year on Thursday, with a peak of 24.6C in London’s St James’s Park, forecasters said. Some were expecting to see another record-breaking day on Friday, but temperatures across the country fell just short.

On Sunday, the record is likely to be broken again as areas of the UK experience warm, humid temperatures before thunderstorms and heavy rain hit parts of the country.

Mr Partridge said central and south-eastern parts of England are likely to be the hottest.

There are three yellow thunderstorm warnings in place for parts of the UK on Sunday. One covers most areas of the west of the UK, including the majority of Wales, where thunderstorms are expected between midday and 10pm. The second warning is for the western half of Northern Ireland between 11am and 7pm.

The third warning is for western parts of Scotland and runs between 2pm on Sunday to 4am on Monday. Mr Partridge said this warning is slightly different as more significant rainfall is expected.

People in areas with a yellow warning should expect some disruption, especially to travel. Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and there is a slight chance of power cuts, the Met Office said.