The Met Office has refused to rule out a repeat of last year's 40C scorcher as summer began on Wednesday (June 21).
As thousands of revellers gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate summer solstice forecasters warned that another record breaking high is "not impossible".
Heathrow saw the mercury rise to a staggering 40.2C on July 19, 2022 - the highest temperature recorded in UK history and 1.5C more than the previous record of 38.7C, recorded in 2019 in Cambridge.
Although the current extended period of heat is unlikely to reach those heights, Brits will continue to bask in warmer than average temperatures as we head into the weekend.
Referring to a long-range forecast from three weeks ago, the Met Office's head of situational awareness, Will Lang said: "There’s double the chance of a hot summer. It doesn’t directly imply there will be a heatwave but it does suggest that there is an increased likelihood."
He continued: "So certainly, we will see more hot spells throughout the summer. However, we’re not ruling out there still being near-average conditions. There is also a chance of thunderstorms. It’s not saying we will have a repeat of 40C conditions from last year. It’s not impossible.
"There is an increased risk of further hot periods throughout the course of the season. We might need to issue either an amber or even a red extreme heat warning."
In the meantime, the UK is set for another day of sunny spells on Thursday, feeling very warm for most. The Midlands and Wales could experience scattered showers as the afternoon progresses, however.
London and parts of the southeast will prove to be the hottest areas of the country, with a high of 28C forecast for the late afternoon.
Friday and Saturday is expected to be largely be unsettled with a chance of storms, meanwhile, though drier in the southeast of England. It will, however, remain humid across the country.
UK weather forecast
Today:
A day of sunny spells and scattered showers, though many places will remain dry. Some of the showers will be heavy and perhaps thundery. Feeling very warm for most.
Tonight:
Any daytime showers dying out to leave plenty of clear spells. Some patchy mist and fog developing in places. Patchy rain spreading into the far northwest into the early hours.
Friday:
Any mist and fog clearing to leave a dry day for many with hazy sunshine. Cloudier across Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England with outbreaks of rain.
