If you like hot weather then make the most of it this week because a "thundery breakdown" is being forecast for a weekend washout with temperatures dropping by as much as 10 degrees in 24 hours. Forecasters are predicting that Friday will be the hottest day of the year so far when temperatures could reach as much as 33°C as a mass of warm air heads towards the UK.
But it is not set to last very long as it is forecast to turn "cooler and fresher" over the weekend with the risk of heavy rain and thundery showers. The Met Office says that it will become increasingly warm in the south from Wednesday as high pressure builds. This will bring settled conditions allowing temperatures to build day-on-day and for it to become warm, or even hot, for a time by Friday.
Welsh forecaster Derek Brockway said this Friday it is predicted to be 30°C in Usk and 26°C in Machynlleth, but has warned it is not going to last long. The highest temperature on record in Wales was in June was 33.7°C in Machynlleth in 2000. The previous highest was 33.5°C in Usk in June 1976.
