For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Thunderstorms are due to rumble across the country this weekend after the UK enjoyed its joint hottest day of the year.
Temperatures hit 25.8C in Kinlochewe, Scotland , on Wednesday, matching the previous high set on 19 April in Treknow, Cornwall.
Forecasters predict a peak of between 22C to 24C on Thursday before the weather starts to cool overnight.
“Today is probably the last day of widespread sunny bright conditions,” said Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon.
“Temperatures will be a touch down on yesterday but could reach 22 or 23 or possibly even 24 degrees in far northwest Scotland.”
Show all 8 1 /8Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I stumbled on the firefighter in front of the burning home on the second day of the Camp Fire in a town called Magalia which is about five miles from Paradise, California. There were about five or six homes burning and firefighters were trying to save the houses near to those that were on fire. The heat from the fire was so intense that the firefighter could only stand near the burning building for 10-15 seconds before having to move away" - Justin Sullivan
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "This was only one of several large-scale forest fires in Brandenburg state in Germany last year, following droughts which left the forests in the region extremely dry. The year set a new record for fires that burned over 400 hectares. As a photojournalist covering the region for over 15 years, I now have to assume either drought or floods will very likely be a part of the news we will be covering every summer" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "This photograph was taken at a sunflower field at Goersdorf near Golssen in Germany. The farmers in the region are really despairing. In the years before many faced floods, in 2018 it was scorching heat. Many grow crops that are meant to feed their cows, so when the crops fail they need to buy feed. With the price of milk so low many are fearing for their economic survival if weather cycles like this continue" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "On the third day of the Camp Fire the flames had moved away from the town and were burning in the nearby hills. I captured this photo in Big Bend, as the story was shifting away from the fire itself and focusing on trying to locate missing persons and recover remains of those who had perished" - Justin Sullivan
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "You can see the Belchatow power plant and the rising steam and smoke from over 20km away. I went there the day before the start of the United Nations’ climate conference in Katowice, which took place in a region where coal has a long history and coal mining is woven into local tradition. Poland has made some strides with renewables, such as with wind turbines that now dot portions of the western Polish countryside. However, given how heavily Poland still relies on coal, it is unlikely that Belchatow will close anytime soon. According to a recent study by the European Commission Belchatow is Europe’s biggest single emitter of CO2" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I stayed the night at an alpine hut near the Waxeggkees glacier in Austria. An employee I talked to at night said, sometimes (this was August) she heard the sounds of ice breaking off the glacier and crashing across rocks. 100 years ago the glacier would have filled the photo. Now it takes over an hour to walk up to where the glacier begins" - Sean Gallup, photographer
Getty Images
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I came across Mr. Helmut Kujat, 78, by chance after I photographed a parched farm nearby. He’s actually pouring the water into a tube that helps to better let the water reach the roots of the tree. He waters the trees in front of his house almost daily throughout spring and summer due to droughts and heat waves" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I took this photo about a week after the Camp Fire tore through the town of Paradise, California in November last year. It was the first opportunity to use a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone to view the widespread devastation since the air space around the burn zone had been closed" - Justin Sullivan
Getty
Scotland saw the best of the weather because the high pressure area over the UK was being squeezed north towards Norway, he added.
While the warm sunny weather will continue in Scotland on Friday, the rest of the country will see cloudy skies and showery rain into the weekend.
The Met Office predict sunny intervals with a temperature of around 17C for the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.
“There is a chance of thunderstorms over the weekend, although this is unpredictable and is most likely in the south and east,” said Mr Claydon.
The long range forecast suggests temperatures for the rest of the month will be close to average for the time of year.
In early June the north of the UK is expected to enjoy the best of the sunshine and dry weather.
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events “The most prevalent rain and showers will be across southern and central parts,” according to the Met Office forecast.
“It could be rather cool in these unsettled periods and particularly cool near the English east coast. The best of the sunshine and dry weather, as well as the highest temperatures, will be in the north, especially the northwest. However, these more prolonged settled and warm conditions will spread further south at times.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies