UK weather forecast: Thunderstorms to pummel Britain ahead of 32C heatwave this weekend

Soaring temperatures will bring 70 per cent chance of heatwave from Thursday, forecasters warn

Thunderstorms will pummel Britain before a mini heatwave arrives with temperatures soaring up to 32C this weekend.

A weather warning for thunderstorms covers central and eastern England and a warning for rain covers North Wales and northwest England until midday Tuesday.

Forecasters warned of “challenging” conditions for the morning commute, with a risk of localised flooding, which could cause danger to life, and surface water on roads posing a hazard to motorists.

Hastings saw 13mm of rain fall in one hour, while 10mm was recorded at Sandhurst, the Met Office said.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “The storms have arrived along the south coast of England from the Isle of Wight to the Dover Strait with increasing amounts of thundery activity.

“The storms will continue north-eastwards over parts of East Anglia and the Humber before edging out over the North Sea.

“The early morning commute could be challenging, especially in areas north of London as that’s where the heaviest rain will be at that point.”

Passengers using some southern routes have been advised to check for potential disruption to journeys.

National Rail Enquiries said passengers on Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink services could be affected.

The storms are being fed by an area of warm air that brought a muggy night for many – with temperatures only falling to 20C in some parts of the South East.

And the mercury is expected to climb quickly after the lively weather moves through, with up to 27C expected in parts of the South on Tuesday afternoon.

It will then turn more settled and increasingly hot and humid from Wednesday as temperatures rise into the high 20Cs and low 30Cs for many.

Health alerts are already widely in place, with a 70 per cent chance of a heatwave from 6am on Thursday to 6pm on Saturday.

Met Office forecaster Dan Suri said: “It’s going to get hot and humid for some from Wednesday, with the highest temperatures expected across southern and western parts of the UK.

“Not everywhere will see the high temperatures, however, as an easterly breeze will keep North Sea coasts much cooler.

“By the time we get to Saturday, however, North Sea coasts will join much of the rest of eastern UK in seeing temperatures of 27C to 32C.

“Heatwave thresholds will therefore be met across some parts of the UK later this week and into the weekend.”

The highest temperature on record for June is 35.6C recorded in London on 29 June 1957 and Southampton on 28 June 1976.

With temperatures potentially reaching into the mid-30Cs for parts of the UK later this week, there is a chance the current record could be broken.

Additional reporting by Press Association.