Britain is set to be hit by "intense" thunderstorms and lightning this week as the heatwave continues with temperatures surging to 29C, the Met Office has warned.
Hail and downpours are expected to sweep in from the south across the southwest tomorrow morning - but the day is set to be the hottest of the year so far.
Forecasters have said the thunderstorms are likely to wreak even more havoc than usual after hundreds of staycationers flocked to the coasts over the Bank Holiday weekend.
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warning from between 5am and 11am on Wednesday.
A Met Office spokesperson said: "There are heavy thundery showers at various times this week. The one we've issued a warning for is one pushing through South England and Wales as we go through tomorrow morning.
"Through 5am and 11am there's frequent lightning hail and frequent bursts of rain too. Because of the time of year a lot of people have travelled down to these parts, there's a likelihood of an increased impact because of the higher number of people."
"Tomorrow is going to be the hottest day of the week in most places - mid 20s - and... the hottest places will in the London and the Midlands areas tomorrow. We could be looking at highs of 28 and possibly 29C.
"[It's] intense, thundery downpours."
The meteorologist said the extreme downpours are partly caused by last week's sudden heatwave after months of grey skies and downpours.
It comes after a Bank Holiday weekend that saw thousands pack up and head to the coastline to enjoy the glorious weather.
Heavy traffic was spotted on the M5 motorway near Bristol as tourists from across the UK raced for a beach spot.
Groups of friends were seen sunbathing in Bournemouth and crowds of sunseekers visited the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset.
The mini-heatwave is expected to continue throughout next week coinciding with the thundery showers, the Met Office has confirmed.
Today
Balmy weather across most of the country with highs of 24C in the capital. Plenty of sunshine for most. Cloudier with coastal fog in parts of the east at first which is due to clear inland later. Cloudier far northwest and possibly some drizzle in the Hebrides.
Tonight
The mercury looks set to drop slightly after sunset with misty with low cloud in the northeast. Dry elsewhere with clear periods for most areas. Increasing risk of thundery showers into the far south-west.
Tomorrow
Intense thunderstorms are due to hit the southwest from 5am onwards as temperatures continue to soar across most of the UK and reach highs of 29C in London and the Midlands. The downpours look likely to break up and ease later in the day.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday
The Met Office is "keeping an eye" on another bout of thunderstorms set to ravage parts of the UK on Friday, the forecaster said.
The impact is likely to affect southeastern regions in particular. Balmy weather and high temperatures in the 20s set to continue through to next week.
