Balmy conditions to continue into tomorrow
The balmy conditions will continue into Friday when Brits will bask in 26C heat.
The rest of the four-day weekend looks slightly more uncertain, with patches of rain and potential thunder.
The warmest weather across Saturday and Sunday will be found in the northwest of Scotland, with cooler breezes blowing further south.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Rudman said: “Some may see an unsettled start to the long weekend, with showers for Northern Ireland, Wales and western England, however, it will be much more settled for many, with plenty of dry weather and good spells of sunshine.
“Temperatures could reach 26C in the south on Friday, although this will likely be the warmest day and later in the weekend the highest temperatures are likely to be in the northwest.
“A plume of warm air, currently across the continent, then pushes north over the UK through the weekend.
“However, there is uncertainty on how far north it will stretch with the latest outlook suggesting it will bring a spell of showers to southern areas from Saturday which could turn heavy and possibly thundery at times.
“Although there will also be some breaks in the cloud even here, and northern areas are most likely to stay fine and dry.
“Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England look like they’ll see the driest conditions from Saturday onwards most likely enjoying some prolonged periods of sunshine.”
