The nicer weather is finally here, after a soggy Bank Holiday Monday and a gloomy April.
During the afternoon thunderstorms on Monday, several parts of the country received as much as 30mm–40mm of rain in a single hour.
Luckily, the weather has listened to our concerns and decided to bring the sun out for a couple of days.
But how long can we expect sunny weather and why is the weather so warm all of a sudden? Here’s what we know.
How long will the warm weather last in London and the south?
High temperatures are predicted for today and this weekend but, starting on Sunday, forecasters have warned of "thundery breakdowns" in the UK.
The Met Office predicts that today's high in the south of England will be 25°C, with chances of 26°C on Saturday and perhaps 27°C on Sunday.
This will surpass the year's maximum temperature of 24.3°C, which was recorded on Thursday at London's St James's Park and Heathrow.
Temperatures should become cooler from Monday.
Will the rest of the UK enjoy sunshine?
The rest of the country should also have milder springtime temperatures; England’s average will hover around 22°C on Saturday and Sunday, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have predicted highs of 21°C for Saturday, and rain on Sunday for the whole country.
Why is the weather so warm?
The warmer weather, according to Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill, is a result of high pressure that has hung over the UK for the majority of this week. The meteorologist advised people to make sure they are protected from rising UV and pollen levels.
Why do thunderstorms happen after hot weather?
Hot air is the precursor to thunderstorms. This usually happens following extended warm spells, such as heatwaves, during which extremely high temperatures heat the Earth and the atmosphere. Warm air rises through the atmosphere, begins to cool, and condenses into droplets of water as it ascends. When these droplets begin to move within the cloud, they will ascend even higher into the atmosphere if the surrounding air is cold. Since the atmosphere is unstable, cumulonimbus clouds – the only kind of cloud that can produce hail, thunder, and lightning – are formed during thunderstorms.
