UK weather: England to be ‘hotter than Bahamas’ ahead of four days of thunderstorms – The Mirror

Brits enjoyed the 'hottest day of the year' on Tuesday with temperatures exceeding the heat in Bahamas.

Sun worshippers flocked to beaches and parks across the UK to enjoy the sweltering heat following a weekend of glorious sunshine that saw the mercury climb to 28.6C at London's Heathrow Airport.

And it promises to rise even higher.

Thunderstorms will shatter the mini-heatwave later this week but there will be blast of heat before the rain creeps in as temperatures are expected to surge to 30C.

The soaring weather is due to high pressure which has made its way from the Azores island in Portugal and settled across the Midlands and the southeast of England.

This resulted in Tuesday being hotter than the Bahamas as temperatures in the West Indies holiday island only reach 26C.

The glorious heat on Tuesday has beaten the previous record of the hottest day which was almost two weeks ago when temperatures of 28.3C were recorded in Northolt in West London, on June 2.

But influences from the Atlantic are predicted to bring wet weather over the northern and western parts of England with cloudier skies and patches of rain.

This will see the UK's sunshine disappear as a month's worth of rain is forecast to fall in just two hours.

On Wednesday some areas could endure downpours of up to 50mm which is the average amount of rainfall in South East England for the entire month of June.

A cold front will bring in cooler air which will trigger cloudier and wetter conditions to northern England, southern Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The south of England will experience clear spells but rain will fall in the North.

From 6pm there could be "thundery breakdown" which has prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning for some parts of the UK.

The thunderstorms are expected to move across the country and potentially eastern Wales but the timing and exact locations are still "uncertain".

Experts have warned there could be torrential downpours, hail, lightning and strong winds from late on Wednesday through to Friday morning.

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell said: "Large swathes of England and Wales could potentially see some heavy downpours on Thursday.

"After that, it will bring in fresher air from the West and so that will clear away the hot weather.

"The thunderstorm warning covers quite a large area of England and Wales. Closer to the time we will have a better idea of where exactly they should be."

Fine for many, with some hot sunshine for much of England and Wales before evening thunderstorms develop for some. Further north, a few showers over Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Thunderstorms moving northwards across parts of England and Wales with heavy rain and lightning, these mainly across southern and central areas. Scotland and Northern Ireland clearer with a few showers.

Band of cloud and light rain across central and western areas. Risk of thunderstorms southeast of this. Mainly dry with sunny spells across much of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mostly dry with sunny spells, although heavy, perhaps thundery, rain will affect much of England and parts of Wales on Friday. Rain and showers becoming more widespread again on Sunday.

Excerpt from:

UK weather: England to be 'hotter than Bahamas' ahead of four days of thunderstorms - The Mirror