UK Weather: Britain set to bask in 30C mini-heatwave before dreary summer resumes

The UK is set to sizzle in a 30C mini-heatwave by the end of this week – but forecasters have warned that sunseekers won’t have long to enjoy the weather .

Parts of England and Wales are set for a bout of warm weather between Wednesday and Friday, with conditions turning more changeable by the weekend.

London and the South East will see the highest temperatures on Friday, when the mercury could rise as high as 30C.

Temperatures will begin to climb on Wednesday, while Thursday could see highs of 27C.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued several heat health alerts for the South East from early Thursday morning.

The government body has placed a yellow heat health alert to coincide with the rising temperatures for London, East Midlands, East of England and the South East.

The Met Office said the welcome summery spell is a result of a warmer air mass from the south due to an “amplification in the jet stream”.

Those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, will miss out on the heat and should expect thunderous and wet conditions during this period.

Forecasters said the sunshine will be short-lived, with brighter spells expected on Saturday morning in westerly areas. The last of the sunshine will be felt in the afternoon in the East of England.

The North West of England will be the worst affected by wet weather on Saturday, as showers move in from Sunday for the rest of England and Wales.

Thunderous and more changeable conditions will prevail by the end of Saturday and will continue into next week.

Parts of the country have already exceeded July’s average rainfall figures despite only being halfway through the month.

The Met Office spokesperson said England had 97 per cent of July’s average rainfall between 1-15 July, Wales had 65 per cent, Scotland 49 per cent and Northern Ireland 47 per cent.

London has had 154 per cent of its July average already and Dorset 120 per cent. Edinburgh has only had 40 per cent and Dundee 33 per cent.

St Swithin’s Day on Monday – traditionally said to predict the next 40 days of weather – was another wet one for much of England and Wales.

But the Met Office said conditions next week would be “changeable” rather than just rainy, with temperatures close to average.