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Brits bask in glorious sunshine again with temperatures set to hit 35C... but thunderstorms loom next week

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset: PA
People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset: PA

Sunseekers are enjoying another sweltering day on Sunday, with temperatures tipped to rise as high as 35C in places.

Kent, Sussex and parts of London are the most likely places to see the highest temperatures, the Met Office said - but large parts of England and Wales should see the mercury reach about 30C.

But the heatwave will come to an end for much of the UK next week, with some places set to be rocked by "severe thunderstorms" and up to 80mm of rain due to fall in just a few hours.

Parts of southern and central England will continue to see temperatures in the high 20Cs. Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: "There is some contrast. For some of us the heatwave will continue on Sunday and beyond."

It comes after Friday saw the hottest August day in 17 years, with temperatures hitting 36.4C at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in south-west London.

Saturday’s top temperature was 34.5C – which was recorded at Frittenden in Kent, Wiggonholt in West Sussex, and Herstmonceux in East Sussex, the Met Office said.

Many places have had a “quite grey” start on Sunday – with cloud drifting in across the North Sea - but that will burn away, Mr Snell said.

There will be lots of sunshine which may also trigger a few showers later on across the southern half of the UK.

And grey clouds are on the horizon for much of the UK next week, with yellow thunderstorm warnings for all parts of the country issued for Monday through to Wednesday.

The warning says: “Some places are likely to see severe thunderstorms early next week – but there is significant uncertainty in location and timing.”

Dan Harris, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said “the ingredients are there” for storms to strike, but “it’s just too early to pinpoint the details of exactly where and when thunderstorms will occur”.

He said that “the ingredients are there” for them to strike, but “it’s just too early to pinpoint the details of exactly where and when thunderstorms will occur”.

People on a beach in Dorset on Saturday (PA)
People on a beach in Dorset on Saturday (PA)

It comes after Saturday saw large crowds of people headed for the coast for the second day in a row, with a red alert warning issued in some places after packed beaches made social distancing impossible.

Thanet District Council said Ramsgate Main Sands beach in Kent was “extremely busy”, with high tide likely to make social distancing difficult.

Blackpool Police also reported its beaches being busy and said there were a “larger than usual” number of children going missing.

Meanwhile in Norfolk, police recovered a body from the water at Bawsey Pits near King’s Lynn following reports of a man getting into difficulty in the water.

And South East Water urged customers to put away their hose pipes and garden sprinklers as a spike in demand had left some people with low water or no water, the company said.

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