The mercury will hit 30C this weekend, but many will continue to see unsettled weather

In south temperatures will start building on Friday, and could reach 30°C in some isolated spots in the east and southeast.

However, on Friday low-pressure will be positioned to the west of Scotland, which will see a theme of unsettled weather to much of Scotland as well Northern Ireland.

The mini heatwave will be short lived as south western areas will see thundery weather on Saturday as a result of the low pressure with the possibility of gusty winds and hail in some parts.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris said: “Temperatures will be on the rise from Friday, as a plume of very warm air drifts across the UK from the south.

“Parts of east and southeast England may reach 29 or 30ºC on Friday, with mid-twenties more widely across England and Wales.

“By Saturday, this heat will have extended further north, with parts of Scotland also reaching the mid to high twenties, and again around 30ºC or perhaps even a touch higher for inland parts of eastern England.

“In addition, temperatures overnight will remain high, especially in towns and cities, which will make for an uncomfortably warm night for some.”

Low pressure situated to the west of the UK by the end of the week will combine with the heat and humidity to bring the risk of some heavy rain and thunderstorms ⛈️

Initially these will be in the northwest on Friday before becoming more widespread on Saturday pic.twitter.com/8mP8y1Ptzq

— Met Office (@metoffice) July 5, 2023

Harris added, “Despite the warm start to the weekend weather for most, we expect a steady transition back to cooler and more unsettled weather with the development of some intense thundery downpours.

“Whilst we have high confidence in the general trends, there remains sufficient uncertainty to preclude us from being able to pin down the most likely locations of the most intense and potentially impactful thunderstorms.

“The main message at the moment is to be aware of the potential for heavy downpours with lightning, hail and gusty winds, so keep in touch with the latest forecasts.

“Warnings may be issued in due course, should confidence increase. However, the vast majority of places will avoid the worst conditions.”