UK weather: Joint hottest day of the year as storms lash north

The joint hottest temperature recorded so far in 2023 was hit on Sunday - but conditions are already on the turn.

Coningsby in Lincolnshire reached 32.2C, matching the same heights seen in Chertsey, Surrey, on 10 June.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms lashed areas across northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland - and the week ahead looks much cooler across the UK.

BBC Weather's Tomasz Schafernaker said Sunday's heat "marked the end of our current hot spell".

He continued: "The end of the month looks considerably cooler, but we're still on course for one of the warmest Junes in the UK since records began.

"Some parts of England have been experiencing temperatures akin to the Mediterranean for over two weeks.

"The weather has been consistently warmer than average across other parts of Europe as well."

The Met Office said Sunday's peak temperature at Coningsby was registered in the same location as the UK's hottest ever day, when 40.3C was recorded on 19 July last year during an extreme heatwave.

Yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms were in place across much of the north of the country during the afternoon, with many reporting downpours and hail.

While the south sizzled, storm clouds gathered further north

But while black clouds rumbled their way towards the north east of Scotland and out to sea, temperatures continued to soar in the south.

London Fire Brigade said 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were sent to tackle a grass blaze which had engulfed two hectares of land at Rammey Marsh in Enfield, in north London.

And New Wimbledon Theatre was forced to cancel a performance of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory the Musical due to the "impact on working conditions on stage".

It stayed hot - and mercifully dry - for festivalgoers at Glastonbury, but the picture for the week ahead is more mixed.

Monday is expected to be breezy, with cloud and showers in the north and west of the country, and more unsettled conditions forecast in the days ahead for many.