Blast of hot air from Spain will leave voters in a sweat

BRITAIN will swelter as a current of hot air sweeps in from the Continent tonight with tomorrow shaping up to be the hottest day of the year.

Thermometers are expected to soar close to 86F (30C) making it a muggy day at the EU in-out referendum polling stations.

Forecasters warn the sudden heat will trigger heavy showers, hail and intense thunderstorms as air sweeps up from Spain and France.

However, the steamy blast is likely to be short-lived.

The Met Office is predicting highs of about 77F in the South with the North slightly cooler at 68F tomorrow.

Independent forecasters are predicting the mercury will nudge towards the 86F mark.

Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: “Wednesday night into Thursday is going to be very warm and muggy. On Thursday this plume of hot air will spread from the South-east bringing showers through the morning which will spread further northwards through the day.

“Rain will be heavy in central parts and there could be thunder.”

He warned rainfall could be on a scale similar to last week which saw parts of the country under inches of floodwater. Glastonbury-goers are being warned to pack brollies and wellies with the festival at risk of turning into yet another mudbath.

Organisers at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, waded through ankledeep floodwater this week after rain fell on to sodden ground.

Netweather forecaster Jo Farrow said: “In potentially torrential downpours, there could be hail and gusty winds, with flooding.” James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, warned that the burst of extreme heat carried by unstable air from the Continent will trigger a fierce bout of thunderstorms.

He added: “Temperatures could approach the 86F mark in parts before the end of the week with other areas seeing temperatures of about 68F.

“A number of weather fronts and low pressure areas will keep the theme unsettled.

“There is a risk for some of widespread and vigorous thunderstorm activity.”

Piers Corbyn, forecaster for WeatherAction, said: “It is going to be very muggy and humid over much of the UK with the threat of thunder.”

Forecasters say that after the hot weather tomorrow another change in wind direction will bring a fresher feel.

Their prediction is the mercury dropping back to average by the weekend.