Parts of eastern England are predicted to reach 30C on Friday, potentially making it the hottest day of 2025, according to the Met Office.
But while temperatures soar, the Met Office has issued a warning for thunderstorms later in the evening.
Cambridge is expected to reach 29C, while Canterbury could see temperatures of 27C. Nottingham and Durham are also set to enjoy warm weather, with temperatures around 25C.
In Scotland, Aviemore could reach 24C. Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said that much of Friday would be "hot and humid" with a "small chance" temperatures could reach 30C.
If temperatures hit 30C, it would surpass the 29.3C recorded at Kew Gardens in west London on 1 May.
The predicted heatwave means that parts of the UK could be hotter than popular holiday destinations such as Ibiza, Mykonos and Los Angeles.
“A good chunk of England and southern Scotland will be dry for most of Friday,” said Mr Deakin.
He said “beefy showers” were expected on Friday in Wales and the west of England after “a humid start to what will be a very warm day for some on Friday”.
Moving into Friday evening, a yellow weather warning is in place for London, Wales, England’s east and south east, east and south west, as well as the West Midlands, with the Met Office warning they could cause disruption overnight.
“It will be cooler in the far south west, particularly as the heavy downpours arrive in the afternoon,” Mr Deakin said.
He also warned of hail, gusty wind and the possibility of flooding as the skies cloud over.
While many areas within the warning zone may escape severe weather, torrential downpours could bring 30–50mm of rain in a short time before conditions ease on Saturday morning.
Cardiff, Plymouth, Bath, parts of Greater London, Brighton and Norwich were among the areas included in the warning.
Mr Deakin said there was “a bit of uncertainty” over Saturday, but predicted “heavy rain” in the north of England’s, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland as well as afternoon thunderstorms further south.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued its first yellow heat-health alert of the year, running until 8am on Sunday in the east of England, East Midlands, London, and the south east.
Under UKHSA and the Met Office’s Weather-Health alerting system, a yellow alert means there could be an increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people.
It may lead to an increase in risk to health for individuals aged over 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
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