86F heatwave on way but it’ll be broken by fierce thunderstorms

A SWELTERING blast from sunbaked Spain will send temperatures rocketing across Britain this week before the heatwave breaks into heavy storms.

Sunshine and blue skies are forecast widely today before it turns muggy and very warm tomorrow.

Temperatures will nudge the 86F (30C) mark towards mid-week before heat erupts into ferocious thunderstorms.

Today will deliver the most sunshine, while tomorrow and Wednesday will be humid and cloudy.

Highs of 81F are forecast in the South with 86F possible tomorrow and Wednesday.

Pressure

Scotland and the North will hover around the mid to high 70s until the middle of the week, forecasters say.

The Met Office warned thunderstorms will hit southern Britain tomorrow night before moving northwards through Wednesday.

Forecaster Luke Miall said warm air from the Continent will bring a stifling burst of heat from tomorrow.

He added: “High pressure will start to build on Monday so it will feel warmer and this will be the best day for sunshine. It should turn out pretty pleasant in many places.

“High pressure drifts to the east on Tuesday pulling air up from the South-east and the Continent.

“Tuesday will be another warm and fine day although there is a fly in the ointment – a thundery breakdown setting in across the South during the evening.”

Tuesday and Wednesday could see highs of 86F in the South with the mid to high 70s likely elsewhere, before it turns fresher towards the end of the week, he said.

The mercury will plunge on Thursday with a mixed bag of sunshine and showers to round off the week, he explained.

“It will be much more comfortable towards the end of the week with a big drop in temperatures on the way,” he added.

Warm and humid conditions will be driven by a plume of air dragged up from Spain where temperatures hit a record 117F last week.

Jim Dale, from British Weather Services, said: “This won’t be the end of it, we are going to continue with this cycle of a few days of very hot weather and then the thundery, cooler conditions.”

Exacta Weather’s James Madden added: “We are expecting another surge in temperatures and summerlike weather during the latter part of this month.”