UK weather forecast – Heatwave roasts Britain on 27.5C hottest day of year amid ‘lively’ thunderstorm warning

BRITS are basking in a gorgeous heatwave as temperatures hit 27.5C on the warmest day of the year so far.

There's stunning sunshine around the country today, with Heathrow getting the best of the weather.

The Met Office said this afternoon: "It's now the warmest day of the year so far as temperatures have climbed to 27.5C at Heathrow."

The scorching temperatures make it warmer here today than it is in Santorini or LA.

However, forecasters have warned "lively" thunderstorms could also be on the way after lightning lit up skies across the south on Sunday night.

The plume of roasting air from Africa could also bring Saharan dust with it - which may cause "blood rain" when less cheerful weather arrives later this week.

Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said there'll be "plenty of fine weather" today - but not everyone will have much time to enjoy it.

“Further west, we're looking at a weather front moving in," he said.

"It'll bring with it a lot of cloud and rain at times to Northern Ireland fringing into western Scotland, west Wales and south west England by the end of the day, by which time that rain could be turning quite heavy."

In the east it'll stay "dry and fine with plenty of warm sunshine and quite a humid feel", he said.

"In London up towards the Wash in East Anglia it'll be 26C, possibly 27C. It'll be cooler on the coast," he said.

He warned steamy, humid air in the South East could lead to plenty of thunder.

"At the same time, there is the risk of thunderstorms drifting up from France across East Anglia and the South East," he said.

"It'll be hit or miss again - not everywhere is seeing the downpours, but they could be pretty lively."

Meteorologist Simon Partridge said the uneven weather comes courtesy of "a plume of warm and humid air coming off the continent".

"That's going to allow some heavy showers to develop and the odd rumbling of thunder as well," he said.

The mercury will then drop as the week goes on, with highs in the mid-20s tomorrow before more storms and "intense" rain later this week.

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Combined with the dust in the atmosphere, Brits around the country may see orange skies and even rust-coloured rain.

The phenomenon was last seen in the UK back in March, when cars and windows were covered in a fine layer of dust.

The Met's long-range forecast has predicted warm temperatures to last until May 23.

But the hot sun will also be accompanied by a "pollen bomb" which will cause misery for hayfever sufferers, experts predict.

The second-highest temperature recorded this year was 23.6C in Faversham, Kent, on May 6.

Bookies are now offering odds of 11/10 that this May will be the hottest on record.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "With scorching temperatures still to come over the next couple of weeks, odds have once again been slashed on this going down as the hottest May ever."