People across the UK sweltering in soaring temperatures can look forward to a "wall of rain” from next week, as the heatwave is expected to come to an end. Temperatures today (Sunday) have hit record levels for the year so far, with the hottest temperature of 29C felt in Wisley in Surrey.
While Sunday's temperatures reached unbearable levels in parts of the country, Monday's are likely to move closer to the average for this time of year, with a “much fresher feel" expected through the first half of the week.
The deluge will arrive in Ireland and Northern Ireland on Monday evening before moving over parts of Wales, Scotland and northern England on Tuesday morning. A Met Office map shows the rain sweeping across the country, the Mirror reports.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “If you are outside in the sunshine, stay hydrated and wear sun protection. It is also going to be a warm humid night tonight and some people may find it uncomfortable for sleeping.
"The minimum temperatures for most will be the mid to high teens. It will be very warm and humid. We will see temperatures rise quite quickly tomorrow in the sunshine and we do need to keep an eye on the risk of thunderstorms as we move to the afternoon and evening, particularly across the north east."
Parts of the north on Sunday were warned to expect lightning, wind and hail. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms for parts of northern England and Scotland, starting on Sunday.
These could cause localised flooding. Rainfall will "vary significantly, but some locations could see 30-40mm in 1-2 hours", according to the forecaster.
The Met Office said: "Whilst there remains some uncertainty in whether thunderstorms develop as cooler conditions follow from the west, there is a chance that an organised line of thunderstorms could develop across northern Britain during Sunday afternoon before clearing east into the North Sea during the evening.
"This is more likely to happen across eastern parts of the warning area including northeast England and eastern Scotland."