Enjoy the UK weather while you can because thunderstorms are looming

Have you been making the most of the hot and sunny summer weather? We hope so, because it’s not long til rain and thunderstorms return.

The UK is set to have a scorcher this weekend, with temperatures of up to 34°C in London and the south east of England.

We’ve got hot air from more southern areas of Europe to thank, helped by a change in orientation and strength of the jet stream above us.

But sadly these temperatures won’t last forever as the Met Office warns of the threat of thunderstorms while the warm weather breaks down.

Aside from Scotland and Northern Ireland, which saw some scattered showers and brisk breezes, most of the UK saw sunny spells throughout the day on Friday.

As we enter the weekend we’re predicted to see cloud and patchy rain across England and Wales today, with warm spells in the south east and scattered showers and sun further north.

But tomorrow is when temperatures are expected to increase.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said: ‘We expect to see a relatively brief hotter and more humid spell of weather for Sunday and Monday, before these hotter conditions recede on Tuesday, allowing more unsettled conditions to return.

‘This change to hotter conditions is caused, in part, by the effects of Tropical Storm Debby in North America.

‘Debby is helping to strengthen the jet stream, causing it to meander over the Atlantic.

‘This will allow hot air over France to move into the UK later this weekend, and early next week.’

Highest temperatures are expected in central, east and south east England, reaching 30°C widely and peaking at 33-34°C n places.

That will result in some high temperatures and humidity overnight, so you’ll probably want a fan going overnight if you have one.

But as temperatures rise, the risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms has also gone up from Sunday night and into Monday.

Dan added: ‘This looks most likely across portions of Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland and southern and eastern Scotland, but the advice is to keep up to date with the latest forecast and any warnings by checking our website or app.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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