Temperatures peaked at 25.4C yesterday - the warmest day so far this year - and Brits are now set for the hottest weekend of 2023.
But curiously while it'll be hot, it will also be damp in places as a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms remains in force for large swathes of the country on Saturday afternoon and evening. Wales and parts of the Southwest of England are expected to be worst affected by the storms.
With these will come rainfall of up to 60mm - nearly the average June rainfall - in just a few hours.
The nation will sizzle as as warm air across the UK from Europe and Africa, bringing with it temperatures of up to 32C on Saturday and Sunday.
Met Office says the warmest period - the peak of the heatwave - will be at around 2pm to 3pm on Saturday.
The Southeast of England, including London, will be the hottest region during this period.
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: "This is definitely going to be the hottest weekend of the year so far.
"We could see 30C in parts of the country, or even 32C as an outlier as warm air comes in across Europe and France from Africa, and into the UK.
"For much of the country, we are looking at highs of 28C or 29C on Saturday."
Met Office weather maps show northern parts of the UK, including Greater Manchester, will see the peak of the heatwave on Saturday at around 4pm to 5pm, a short while after the south's sizzle.
Risks associated with the "very lively thunderstorms", though, include a small chance of flooding to businesses and homes. Environment Agency is yet to issue a flood warning.
The atmosphere will be particularly unstable throughout Saturday evening in Southern England. It will led to unsettled patterns on Sunday, and temperatures to slowly drop day by day next week.
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said: "The potential for the development of some widespread thunderstorms this weekend will intensify in an unstable atmosphere.
"Some of these could contain unusually large hailstones."
Yesterday, the warmest place in the country was Hurn, near Bournemouth, Dorset - where the mercury hit 25.4C.
Speaking yesterday to Mirror, Met Office spokesperson Ollie Claydon said: "We will see, during the thunderstorms, 30 to 40mm of rainfall, and more in some locations.
"In some spots, we could get more than that, potentially 60mm or possibly more."
The Met Office is unable to pinpoint the exact locations - or times - of the heaviest rainfall at this stage - although dozens of counties are subject to the weather warning.
