Brits are set to enjoy sweltering temperatures next week with the mercury hitting 30C but before that there is heavy rain, thunderstorms and flooding for today.
The UK is currently in the grips of a low pressure system which is bringing unsettled weather that is likely to remain until the weekend and then a high pressure system slowly sweeps in and will dominate with 30C highs possible by Saturday, July 9.
Yellow weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office for heavy rain, thunderstorms and flooding this morning.
The risk of thunderstorms is in the west of Wales which runs from 2am until 9am while there is also a warning for rain and flooding in Northern Ireland which is active from 5am until 10am.
BBC weather forecaster Chris Fawkes said: “Taking a look at the charts into Thursday, we’ve got some cloud which is coming up from north west France that is going to bring some rain to eastern Scotland to start the day.
"This is the jet stream pattern, we’ve got a trough that is moving slowly eastwards across the UK - this encourages the air to rise and so the day’s showers on Thursday are going to be much more heavy in nature with hail and thunder, much more widespread as well.”
The east of the UK is set to see the best of the weather today but showers are still a possibility along with hail and thunder.
More rain is likely for Friday and Saturday but it will gradually fade as the high pressure comes in.
Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said: "If drier, sunnier and warmer weather is your thing then I think you will enjoy this 10 day trend because there are strong signals for the weather to settle down and slowly warm up through next week.
"Here’s the chart for Monday next week and already high pressure near the Azores is starting to influence our weather, it is starting to build in from the west but it is going to take its time, low pressure is still close by.
"Eventually that high will allow the low pressure to take more of a northerly track leaving the UK behind, pushing the jet stream away from our shores.”
Charts show that the weather is still likely to be a little bit below average at the start of next week and even maybe in the middle before rising above the medium at the end of next week where temperatures could hit 30C.
“Mostly it is turning drier and it is turning brighter, at first there will be a lot of cloud around, through next week the cloud will thin and break, particularly towards the south west and then there are some decent signs that later next week that high pressure will become even more influential, not just towards the south west but across the UK,” said Mr McGivern.
"There is a decent signal for quite significantly above average temperatures by the end of next week and into the following weekend."
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Sunshine and showers, some heavy.
Today:
Sunny spells, but showers in the north and west at first, some heavy and slow moving, then developing elsewhere through the day. Risk of isolated thunderstorms and hail, particularly in southern and central parts later.
Tonight:
Areas of heavy showers over central England moving into parts of northeast England, else clear intervals and a few showers in the south and west.
Friday:
Another day of sunshine and showers, although some more persistent rain possible in northeast Scotland in the morning, then over Northern Ireland later.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
An unsettled weekend of sunny spells and scattered showers, occasionally heavy, mainly in the north and west. More settled from Monday with any rain becoming confined to the northwest.
