After a notably warm start to the day, temperatures will rise rapidly on Thursday, bringing another very hot day for many parts of England and Wales. Strong August sunshine and light winds will help temperatures climb, with the hottest conditions expected across central, southern and eastern areas. An amber warning for extreme heat is in place in parts of the east, southeast and the Midlands from 9am to 12am.

Most places will remain dry throughout the day, although there is a small chance of an isolated shower developing by the evening, particularly from the Midlands northwards.

Further north, conditions will be more changeable. Scotland and Northern Ireland will experience a warm and humid day, with outbreaks of showery rain moving through during the morning. As temperatures rise, some showers could become heavy and thundery during the afternoon, bringing locally intense downpours in places. These showers are expected to continue eastwards through the evening.

Thursday night will remain warm for many areas, particularly across parts of England and Wales where temperatures will stay relatively high overnight. Initially, many places will be dry with clear spells.

However, cloud and outbreaks of showery rain will continue across Scotland and Northern Ireland, with some heavy and possibly thundery bursts. Through the night, this more unsettled weather will gradually spread south-eastwards into parts of England and Wales. Meanwhile, some low cloud and coastal fog may develop across parts of southwest Britain by dawn.

Outlook for Friday

By Friday, a gradual change in air mass will begin to take effect across parts of the UK. Southern areas are expected to enjoy another largely dry day with sunny spells, although there remains a small chance of an isolated heavy shower developing later.

Across northern parts of the UK, there will be a mixture of cloud and showers, with some more organised rain affecting the far north at first before easing. Winds will generally be light to moderate, although some coastal locations may experience fresher conditions.

Temperatures will be noticeably lower in the northwest, returning closer to seasonal averages. Further southeast, however, it will remain very warm or hot, allowing summer conditions to continue for at least another day.

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Annie Shuttleworth, said: “Temperatures will continue to rise through Thursday, with an amber extreme heat warning in force across parts of central and eastern England. This is where the highest temperatures are expected, though it will be a very hot day for much of England and Wales.

READ MORE: Deep dive: Heatwave peaks, eclipse viewing and the continuing search for rain

“Further north and west, conditions will be more changeable, with increased cloud and the risk of heavy showers and thunderstorms developing across parts of Scotland through the afternoon.

“Within the warning area, temperatures are forecast to reach 36°C or 37°C, with a small chance of exceeding those values. Such temperatures would challenge the highest recorded this year and come close to some August records.

“Elsewhere, temperatures will be a little lower than on Wednesday, particularly further west. However, many areas of northern England and along the south coast are still likely to see highs between 28°C and 32°C, making it another very hot day with strong sunshine.

“People are advised to follow local guidance and take precautions in the heat. Some disruption to transport and infrastructure is possible within the warning area, so it is worth keeping up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings.

“Thursday is expected to mark the peak of the heat. Conditions will begin to turn somewhat cooler on Friday as a weather front pushes eastwards from the northwest. Even so, parts of southern and eastern England could still see temperatures climbing into the low 30s.”

Keep up to date with weather warnings, and you can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.

A meadow in the summer