The Met Office has recorded the hottest day of the year so farThe thunderstorm warning in place(Image: Met Office)

An alert covering Greater Manchester is now in force for thunderstorms on Saturday – as the Met Office warned of ‘perfect conditions’ for thunder, lightning and rain during the mini-heatwave.

It comes as the UK has recorded the hottest day of the year so far. Forecasters said there was a provisional temperature of more than 33C measured in Surrey.

As well as the 33.2C high in Charlwood, temperatures of 26.9C were provisionally recorded in Bute Park in Cardiff and 27.2C in Aviemore in the Highlands, the weather service said on Saturday afternoon.

Parts of the country will see the ‘perfect conditions’ for thunderstorms as the heatwave continues, according to the forecaster.

A yellow warning for thunderstorms covering parts of south-east Scotland, Yorkshire, the Midlands and Wales has been issued by the Met Office as it said there could be frequent lightning, large hail, strong winds and heavy rain in the affected areas.

Sunshine at New Islington Cottonfields(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Up to 40mm of rain could fall in less than two hours, the forecaster said, as it urged those in the warning areas to consider whether their location is at risk of flash flooding and to prepare accordingly.

The alert, which includes Manchester, is in place from 5pm on Saturday until 3am on Sunday.

The thunderstorm warning in place(Image: Met Office)

Here’s an hour-by-hour forecast for Manchester on Saturday into Sunday.

  • 5pm: Sunny intervals. 30 per cent chance of rain. Highs of 28C.
  • 6pm: Sunny intervals. 50 per cent chance of rain. Highs of 28C.
  • 7pm: Sunny intervals. 50 per cent chance of rain. Highs of 28C.
  • 8pm: Sunny intervals. 30 per cent chance of rain. Highs of 26C.
  • 9pm: Sunny intervals. 10 per cent chance of rain. Highs of 23C.
  • 10pm: Partly cloudy night. 10 per cent chance of rain. Highs of 20C.
  • 11pm: Overcast. 10 per cent chance of rain. Highs of 19C.
  • Midnight: Partly cloudy night. Five per cent chance of rain. Highs of 19C.
  • 1am: Partly cloudy night. Five per cent chance of rain. Highs of 18C.
  • 2am: Partly cloudy night. Five per cent chance of rain. Highs of 17C.
  • 3am: Partly cloudy night. Five per cent chance of rain. Highs of 16C.

Blackpool in the sun(Image: Getty Images)

In an online forecast, Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said as Saturday continues there may be “sharp showers” heading north, accompanied by “a few rumbles of thunder” during daylight hours with “sunny spells” in between.

An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.

“Many places” in England and “one or two areas” in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave following Friday’s highest temperatures, Becky Mitchell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said.

An amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, for all regions in England remains in place over the weekend. The agency has warned that significant impacts are likely across health and social care services, including an increase in demand, during the alert period.

Sunday will see a day of “sunny spells and showers” with highs of around 27C and 28C, Met Office weather forecaster Dan Stroud said.

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