UK weather: Met Office predicts exact date when heatwave will end - heavy rain and thunderstorms on the way

After a week of basking in the scorching sun, thunderstorms are expected to start later this week across the UK, bringing an abrupt end to the heatwave. The Met Office predicts that there will be a higher chance of showers in the west on Friday (June 16), followed by widespread thunderstorms in the south beginning on Saturday (June 17)

Temperatures have reached 30°C once more this week, but the Met Office predicts that they will continue in the mid to high 20s over the coming days. However, temperatures are not expected to exceed the highest on record so far this year of 32.2C in Chertsey, Surrey on June 10 although there will still be plenty of sunshine.

According to meteorologist Clare Nasir, there will be a few thunderstorms in Northern Ireland on Thursday before overnight clouds return to the northwest and move over England and Wales with lows in the single digits.

She said: “But it does lead to a bright start to the day come Friday. Subtle changes for weather through Friday with a higher risk of seeing thunderstorms across Northern Ireland through the afternoon and we’ll see some showers crop up across northern England, Wales, southern parts of Scotland with temperatures around the mid to high 20s.”

The Met Office also said that there will be an increasing chance of thunderstorms across the south on Saturday and then more widely by Sunday (June 18) and Monday (June 19) as they move to other parts of the country.

Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said: "A much more showery outlook for the weekend and beyond with the chance of some heavy downpours and some thunderstorms especially towards the west and southwest."

UK five-day weather forecast

Thursday (June 15)

Any early low cloud clearing quickly through the morning, leaving a mostly dry day with plenty of prolonged sunshine. The odd shower is possible in the far west. Feeling warm. Overnight, any showers in the far west will slowly fade during the evening. Elsewhere long clear spells will lead to a few isolated mist patches forming, these mostly in the east.

Friday (June 16)

Any early morning mist will quickly clear leaving another day with plenty of sunshine for most. Feeling very warm, locally hot. Increasing chance of showers in the west later.

Outlook for Saturday (June 17)  to Monday (June 19)

Dry with long sunny spells. Turning more humid with an increasing chance of thunderstorms across the south on Saturday and then more widely by Sunday and Monday.