Thursday will start largely fine for most, with plenty of sunshine and long sunny spells across much of the UK. Any early showers affecting parts of southern Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland will tend to fade through the morning, leaving drier conditions for much of the day.

Low cloud, mist and fog may affect some south-western coasts at times, but these should remain largely confined to coastal areas. Elsewhere, inland regions will see the best of the sunshine through the morning and into the afternoon.

As the day progresses, cloud will begin to build across parts of Wales and central, southern and eastern England. This may lead to the development of showers, with a small chance that some turn thundery later in the day.

Temperatures will once again be widely warm or very warm. Conditions will become hotter than on Wednesday across northern and eastern areas, while eastern and south-eastern England will again see very high temperatures. In contrast, parts of Wales and south-west England may see slightly lower temperatures compared to the previous day.

Into Thursday night, any showers across eastern, southern and central England will gradually ease, although some cloud and outbreaks of rain will move into parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and north-west England.

Elsewhere, clearer spells will develop, and it will be another warm night for many. In the east in particular, temperatures are likely to remain higher than the previous night, adding to the persistence of the recent warmth.

Outlook for Friday

Friday brings a more mixed and slightly more unsettled picture. Variable cloud will develop, with outbreaks of rain and showers moving broadly north-eastwards across the UK. There is a small chance that some of these could become heavy or thundery in places.

As the day progresses, rain and showers are expected to become more confined to the far north and perhaps parts of the far south-east, with many central areas turning drier and brighter with sunny spells developing.

Winds will generally be light to moderate in the south, but fresher conditions are likely further north, particularly across exposed coasts and higher ground.

Temperatures will begin to show more variation. Parts of the north-west will be closer to average or only warm, while the south-east is likely to remain very warm or hot. Overall, values will be lower than the peak of the recent heat in some areas, but still above average in many places.

READ MORE: Deep Dive: How unusual is the heat?

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Annie Shuttleworth, said: “Into Thursday, there will be more cloud as winds turn southerly, bringing murkier conditions to parts of the south and west. Coastal areas of Cornwall and south-west Wales may see a dull start, with hazy sunshine more typical across western and central England.

“Further north and east, it will be sunnier and hotter, with temperatures rising into the mid-20s and locally into the low 30s. The highest values are expected across the London area, reaching around 32 to 33°C. It will also be a hot day across parts of western Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“Compared to earlier in the week, temperatures will be higher in the east but lower along the south coast, following the recent exceptional heat. This is likely to be the final hot day before temperatures begin to ease into Friday.

“Friday itself will turn windier for some northern areas, with a shift to westerly winds bringing more cloud, showers and fresher air as we head towards the weekend.”

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