As the UK indulged in a balmy weekend of barbecues and paddling pools, there seemed no end to the current third heatwave of the year.
But forecasters are suggesting that the weather will now shift to more cooler temperatures.
The Met Office is predicting that the UK will see highs of just 23C degrees in London and 18C in Newcastle on Tuesday.
It follows a weekend of searing heat for many, with the mercury reaching 33C in Ross on Wye on Saturday. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales recorded the warmest day of the year so far.
On Sunday, the hot weather continued, although temperatures did drop slightly as forecast.
But on Monday, conditions will be cooler with rain predicted for northern and western England, and Scotland.
Central and eastern parts of England are expected to hold on to the warmth on Monday, with forecasts of 25C-26C, while East Anglia and south-east England could potentially hit 30C.
But the rest of the UK is expected to see temperatures ranging between 18C and 22C.
A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “It’s been another widely warm day today, not as hot as yesterday with cloudier skies for some.
“A change tomorrow with showers or longer spells of rain and turning fresher from the west.
“The heatwave is coming to an end for most of us today with fresher air arriving tomorrow, but south-eastern England could still see 30C tomorrow so still classed here.”
On Tuesday, more rainfall is expected in Wales, the North West and North East of England with temperatures not likely to go over 25C. Northern England will see the coolest conditions.
The end of the heatwave may come as a welcome relief to many after the scorching weather resulted in UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office issuing an amber heat health alert for six regions from Friday to Monday.
An amber alert means significant impacts are expected or those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, and health and social care services are likely to face increased demand.
The Met Office defines a heatwave as “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity”.
In the UK, hot weather can only be classed as a heatwave if it meets a daily maximum temperature consistently for three days in a row.
This threshold temperature varies across different parts of the UK.
In London, temperatures need to hit 28C for it to be considered a heatwave, but outside the capital in the north of England and Scotland hot weather can be considered a heatwave if it hits 25C.
But research shows climate change is making these extreme weather events more likely.
A scientific study by the Met Office into the Summer 2018 heatwave in the UK showed that the likelihood of the UK experiencing a summer as hot or hotter than 2018 is a little over 1 in 10.
A new record-high temperature for the UK of 40.3C was recorded at Coningsby in Lincolnshire on the July 19 2022, along with new records for Scotland on the July 19 and Wales on the July 18.
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