Britain is set to bask in a blanket of heat after a gruelling night of thunder and heavy hail signals an end to a miserable May and brings highs of 75F this week.
As the country braces itself for a night of heavy showers, thunder storms and lashes of hail, sunshine and clearer skies heading towards the UK will soon change the bleak start to the weekend and bring temperatures surpassing those in Ibiza, where highs of 73F are predicted, and Barcelona where highs of no more than 64F are expected.
Following the cold and blustery night, where temperatures are expected to drop to as low as -4C across eastern parts of the UK, the country will wake up to a sharp chill in the air and frost.
However the frosty start will soon make way for highs of 66F and possibly an optimistic 68F across south west England and Wales, with most areas expected to enjoy bursts of hazy sunshine as a high pressure system sweeps across the country.
The soaring temperatures will continue to climb as the week progresses, with highs of 73F to 75F expected to arrive to the country by Wednesday and temperatures in Glasgow expected to reach 72F, bringing a smile to those seeking to break out the sunglasses.
A mountain biker watches the sunrise in Billingham, Stockton on Tees, today as high pressure builds across the UK and brings warmer temperatures
A orange sky paints the sky over Roker Lighthouse in Sunderland this morning as the UK prepares itself for a night of thundery showers and hail
A photographer captures the dawn in Sunderland this morning as a miserable May continues tonight throughout most of the country
A rainbow appears over the Derbyshire town of New Mills today as the UK braces itself for a night of showers and thunder
A group of friends sit on the pebbled beach in the Derbyshire town of New Mills as the UK braces itself for a night of showers and hail
Yesterday racegoers battled the torrential rain fall at Chester Racecourse during the third day of the Boodles May Festival as the miserable weather continued
Saturday will see sunshine with occasional showers in north eastern parts of the country, from Newcastle down to the Humber, with potential spells of thunder. Pictured: Swanage, Dorset, May 10
The south east is set to stay largely dry, but don’t break out the sunglasses just yet as a night of showers approach. Pictured: Swanage Bay, Dorset, May 10
Despite the odd shower across some parts of the country, the warm and dry temperature is expected to persist in south-east England, northern England and Scotland for the rest of the week.
The spring weather will also see the UK’s temperatures surpass those in the popular tourist destination of Athens where temperatures will reach 73F by mid-week and Rome which will only see a high of 64F on Wednesday.
Steven Keates, of the Met Office, told MailOnline: ‘Starting on Saturday morning, for many of us it will be a fairly chilly start to the day again, there will be a little bit of frost around, particularly around parts of western and northern Britain.
‘Not quite so cold in parts of central and eastern England.
‘[London] will see probably a bit of cloud to start the day, this will tend to break up through the afternoon but we will still see basically another day of sunshine and showers across many central and eastern areas and parts of the country.’
Much of England will see showers, though there will be ‘plenty of sunshine inbetween’, Mr Keates said.
Following the heavy rain, the west of the country will be mostly dry and is set to enjoy strong bursts of sunshine.
‘We should see 63F or so in parts of the south with light winds – but ‘in the sunshine it won’t feel too bad’, Mr Keates said.
High pressure is moving in from the Atlantic to ‘settle things down’ this weekend, and for a good part of next week, leading to better weather once tomorrow’s showers are out of the way.
Saturday night into Sunday morning will likely see light winds, clear skies and a cold night across the country.
Following a night of heavy showers, thunder storms and hail, temperatures will rise tomorrow to 66F and possibly an optimistic 68F across south west England and Wales
Steven Keates, of the Met Office, told MailOnline: ‘Starting on Saturday morning, for many of us it will be a fairly chilly start to the day again, there will be a little bit of frost around, particularly around parts of western and northern Britain. Pictured Boodles May Festival, May 10
Much of England will see showers, though there will be ‘plenty of sunshine inbetween’ this weekend. Pictured: Racegoers deal with flooded pathways after torrential rain at Chester racecourse, May 10)
‘Gardeners beware’, Mr Keates warned, as frost is set to appear in rural areas and most places ‘outside of town’ into Sunday morning.
Sunday is looking like a ‘lovely day’ for many of us – light winds with lots of sunshine around, with a little bit of cloud building through the day.
‘It might just be thick enough to squeeze out the odd shower across eastern England’, Mr Keates said, but that will be the exception.
‘All in all, not a bad day, Sunday – definitely the best day of the weekend,’ Mr Keates said.
Monday will be similar to Sunday, with a southerly breeze across the country, a little bit of frost, but once that is out of the way, ‘pretty much a dry day nationwide, lots of sunshine around’, though it will be a little cloudier in the far north west of Scotland.
Temperatures should ‘creep up a notch again’ to around 66F quite widely, with some parts possibly seeing 68F.
Coastal areas will be colder, and the nights will likely stay cool.
Sunday is looking like a ‘lovely day’ for many of us – light winds with lots of sunshine around, with a little bit of cloud building through the day (pictured: Swanage Bay, Dorset, May 10)