End in sight for UK heatwave as thunderstorms to sweep in

Britain basked in its warmest temperatures of the year yesterday, with thermometers reading 28C and above.

And although today will see the mercury tipping as much as 30C, by evening the hot weather could be broken by thunder and heavy showers.

The Met Office predicted “variable cloud amounts” for Yorkshire today, saying this “will allow sunshine at times and it will become very warm again in most places”. However some showers are expected to develop quite widely later, some of which are to be heavy and thundery.

Forecaster Paul Mott of MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “It’s certainly the hottest day of the year – temperatures in St James’s Park in central London reached 28.4C (83.1F).

“And tomorrow the weather will get even hotter, at least in the south eastern areas of the UK. There will be plenty of sunshine over England and Wales, although the North West will be a bit cloudier.

“But there will be a breakdown in the weather in the evening and on Tuesday, with heavy showers and localised thunder storms spreading east across England.

“And by Wednesday the heat- wave will definitely be over. If anything it will be a bit colder than average, 20C (68F) in London and down to 15C (59F) elsewhere.”

Andy Murray, first on Wimbledon’s Centre Court today for a last-16 showdown with Frenchman Richard Gasquet, will be glad to play his match before the weather turns.

But despite the occasional threat of showers, Wimbledon is likely to see some prolonged sunny spells throughout the week.

Meanwhile coastguards in Yorkshire issued a warning about using lifejackets after two men had an “extraordinarily lucky” escape when their boat sank without warning in the North Sea.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the two men found themselves in the water off the North Yorkshire coast when their leisure craft hit something and sank within 45 seconds.

But they were rescued after 90 minutes when they were found by a passing angling boat. Coastguards said only one of the men was wearing a lifejacket.

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