The UK will experience the hottest day of the year so far on Friday, with parts of England likely to be warmer than Ibiza.
The pick of the weather will be in the south-east of England, where Greater London will see highs of 35C.
As a result of the high temperatures, there are fears that some coastal areas may become overcrowded, as they did in places like Bournemouth last month.
Police in Dorset are ready to use cordons on Bournemouth beach this week to avoid a repeat of scenes in late June, when a major incident was declared after thousands flocked there to enjoy the sunshine.
Thunderstorms possible on Friday afternoon, Met Office warns
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning ahead of potential thunderstorms on Friday afternoon.
The UK's national weather service warned that lightning storms, large hailstones and power cuts could affect eastern England from 4pm, as a result of the heat and humidity.
Lightning strikes may cause "some damage" to buildings and travel could be disrupted, the agency said.
The warning comes on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far.
Police measures to stop crowds at Bournemouth beach amid fears of overcrowding
The police are prepared to use cordons to stop Bournemouth beach from becoming overcrowded on Friday, amid fears that thousands of people will head there to make the most of the high temperatures.
A surge in visitor numbers is expected on Friday as temperatures soar to over 30C on the south coast.
This comes a month after a major incident was declared at the same beach because of overcrowding.
Dorset Police, which has introduced measures such as high visibility patrols in hotspot areas, is urging people to behave respectfully and responsibly.
Superintendent Richard Bell, of Dorset Police, said: “We have been working with partners throughout recent weeks to ensure we have a detailed plan in place to cope with the expected influx of visitors to our county during sunny spells this summer.”
“We are all keen to welcome visitors to our area but we want to ensure people enjoy what Dorset has to offer in a safe, respectful and responsible manner that does not place an additional strain on all emergency services and public resources,” he added.
Rail union urges people not to crowd onto trains
Rail union officials have told the public not to crowd onto trains this week, amid growing fears that the good weather may compromise social distancing.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said it was concerned about events scheduled to take place this weekend, including unofficial Pride celebrations in Brighton.
This follows the cancellation of the official Brighton Pride because of the pandemic.
Mick Lynch, the assistant general secretary of the union, said: "RMT has a strong history of supporting Brighton Pride and the organisers took the correct decision to postpone it this year in light of the pandemic to ensure everyone's safety."
"However, we have been made aware that unofficial events have been organised this weekend which, combined with other attractions could lead to a surge of passengers that compromises social distancing and safety measures and it's important that is not allowed to happen," he added.
UK set for warmest day of the year
The UK is set to experience the hottest day of the year so far on Friday, with temperatures soaring into the mid-30s, the Met Office has said.
Parts of the country will be warmer than popular tourist destinations in Europe, including Berlin, Lisbon and Ibiza, where temperatures will reach 25C, 30C and 33C respectively.
The weather will be hottest in southeastern areas of the UK and will peak at 35C in Greater London.
The mercury will also rise above 30C in Manchester and parts of Wales.
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