UK records hottest day of the year so far

Temperatures in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, reached 25.9C

Saturday was the UK's warmest day of the year so far, the Met Office said.

Temperatures peaked at 25.9C (78.6F) in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, and, in northern Scotland, a temperature of 25.7C was recorded in Cassley.

Gogerddan in Wales saw 25.1C, while temperatures in Northern Ireland peaked at 23.8C in Magilligan.

The UK's national weather and climate service said the records were "not likely to last long" as forecasters expect it to be even warmer in England on Sunday.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said it was not expected to be as warm on Sunday in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“The really warm air will probably be confined to southern and eastern parts of England, with temperatures expected to peak in central parts of the country at around 27C,” he said.

Temperatures climbed steadily over the week, with the previous record set on Thursday, with a peak of 24.6C in London’s St James’s Park.

Thunderstorm warnings

Parts of the UK are expected to be warm and humid on Sunday before thunderstorms and heavy rain in the afternoon, with three yellow thunderstorm warnings in place.

One covers most areas of the west of the UK, including the majority of Wales, where thunderstorms are expected between 12:00 BST and 22:00.

The second is for the western half of Northern Ireland between 11:00 and 19:00.

The third is for western parts of Scotland between 14:00 on Sunday to 04:00 on Monday.

People in areas with a yellow warning are told to expect some disruption, especially to travel.

Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and there is a slight chance of power cuts, the Met Office said.