Met Office daily weather: Friday to be the hottest day of the current warm spell

The UK is set to experience a spell of warm and humid weather through Thursday and Friday, with a heightened risk of thunderstorms and heavy downpours

Thursday will begin with areas of locally heavy rain, moving erratically north and east throughout the day. While the thundery component of this rain is expected to diminish, brighter conditions following the rain may help to trigger scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms during the afternoon. A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place for western parts of the country and Northern Ireland. 

Winds will be breezy across all areas, with gusty conditions likely near any thunderstorms and stronger winds developing across northeastern parts of the UK. Temperatures will rise through the day, becoming warm and humid for most, and very warm in the south. Eastern areas are expected to see highs of 26-27°C, although this may be tempered by areas of medium-level cloud.

Overnight into Friday, rain and showers will persist in western and northern areas, while eastern regions are likely to become mostly dry.

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Outlook for Friday

Friday is forecast to be the hottest day of the current warm and humid spell. Many western areas will see showery rain, with isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. Elsewhere, much of the country will remain dry for a good portion of the day with sunny spells.

However, through the afternoon and evening, outbreaks of heavy and thundery rain are expected to move north and northeast, particularly affecting parts of England and Wales. There is a risk of severe thunderstorms in eastern and southeastern England, bringing heavy downpours, frequent lightning, hail, and gusty winds. A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is also in place for Friday for the southeastern areas and East Anglia. 

Temperatures will widely reach the high 20s, with 28-29°C expected in the East Midlands, South and East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and southeast England. Isolated spots, particularly in East Anglia, may reach 30°C. Overnight temperatures will remain elevated, especially in urban areas and regions with downslope flow, with minimums in the mid-teens.

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Alex Deakin, said: "A band of thundery showers is likely to push northwards during Wednesday night and into Thursday, probably leaving quite a legacy of cloud. But, a good part of the day may well be dry and fine across a good part of England and Wales. Temperatures will depend on how much cloud we see and the legacy of that band of heavy showers moving north.

“But with some sunshine, and the warm air still in place, it's still really humid. Temperatures likely to get into the mid or even high 20s in places. Now, the days are getting warmer and the nights will also be getting warmer as we see that increased humidity. That is going to be a feature of the weather through the course of this week. So, it's going to get trickier for sleeping. There's that low pressure system still sitting out west. Thursday night and Friday we've got high pressure dominating further east, with the wind still wafting up from the south.

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“So, another pulse of warm air drifts northwards during Friday. Where we've got that weather front lying, likely still to be some showery rain across the west. But it looks at the moment as if a good part of central and eastern England will have a fine, warm and humid day on Friday.

“In fact, hot, where some parts of eastern England may well get to 28, maybe 29°C. A small chance we may even get to 30°C. Obviously it'll be cooler where it's cloudier further west. And then down to the southwest, another pulse of thunderstorms likely to spread north during Friday night and into Saturday."

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