It's the calm before the storm! Severe weather warnings in place for Friday with thunder, lightning and HAIL predicted (just in time for the first festivals of the summer)
- Music fans attending Isle of Wight Festival and Download Festival in Leicestershire prepare for a washout
- Met Office forecasters warn of 'significant disruption' caused by surface water flooding, lightning and hail
- Isolated severe thunderstorms will be followed by more widespread heavy rain until early hours of Saturday
- There could be high amounts of rain in short periods in some areas of South, such as an inch within an hour
Britain is facing dramatic thunderstorms and up to two inches of rain on Friday, which could be the hottest day of the year so far.
It means music fans attending The Isle of Wight Festival and Download Festival in Leicestershire will have to ensure they bring wellies and waterproofs.
Met Office forecasters warned of ‘significant disruption’ in the South from noon on Friday, caused by surface water flooding, lightning and hail.
Tranquil scene: A clear blue sky today above the Souter Lighthouse in the village of Marsden in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear
Resting: A cyclist talks on his mobile phone as he takes a break in the sunshine next to the Leeds to Liverpool canal in West Yorkshire
Pretty: The coastal town of Staithes, north-west of Whitby, in the glorious North Yorkshire sunshine today
Down by the riverside: A worker reads a book next to the water of the Leeds to Liverpool canal in West Yorkshire today
Calm: The Burbo Bank offshore windfarm and the modern sculpture 'Another Place' by Antony Gormley on Crosby beach in Merseyside
Isolated severe thunderstorms are likely to be followed by a band of more widespread heavy rain until the early hours of Saturday morning.
There could be high amounts of rain in short periods in some areas, such as an inch within an hour, and up to two inches overnight into Saturday.
The Met Office has put out a severe ‘be aware’ yellow weather warning for southern Britain from 12pm on Friday to 7am on Saturday.
But forecasters warned that the ‘complexity of the developments leading up to this event’ means the areas at greatest risk may change in advance.
The warm conditions are set to be caused by an area of warm, humid air moving across France into southern Britain overnight on Thursday.
The mercury could hit 28C (82.4F), beating the year's previous highest point of 26.7C (80F) recorded last Friday in Frittenden, Kent.
Three-day weather forecast: The expected conditions across Britain at 7pm tomorrow, Friday and Saturday are pictured
End of the week: The Met Office has a severe rain warning out for Friday (left), while Defra has warned of high air pollution (right, in red)
Pressure: A warm front (in red) will be over Britain on Friday at noon, while a cold front (blue) and occluded front (pink) can also be seen
Coastline: Boats in Staithes, North Yorkshire, which was once one of the biggest fishing ports on Britain's North East coast
Today, Scotland had its warmest day of the year so far with 23C (73.4F) recorded at the Balmoral Castle and Estate in Aberdeenshire .
Met Office forecaster Dean Hall said: ‘Friday will start very warm and humid in the South but end up with thundery rain.
‘Maximum temperatures, particularly in the South East, could reach 25C or 26C. There might be somewhere reaching 27C or even 28C.
‘South Wales could see 24C with 21C in the Midlands and the North. But the thing that may spoil it is thunderstorms triggered by the heat and humidity.
'The atmosphere will become unstable. It looks like a more persistent band of heavy downpours as we go through Friday evening into Saturday.’
Ultraviolet radiation levels are very high in the South West today, and will be high for most parts of Britain tomorrow and Friday.
Shake it all about: Dogs splash in the water to cool down today at Marsden Bay, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Man and his dog: A warm day is witnessed at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland today, as poppies are in bloom
Holding hands: Sisters Milly and Louise play in the sun in front of the Souter Lighthouse on the North East coast in South Tyneside today
Up in the air: A pilot flies a microlight above Crosby beach in Merseyside during good weather, ahead of thunderstorms later this week
We're on a boat: Kayakers enjoy the calm seas at Marsden Bay in South Shields in the sunshine today
Meanwhile Defra has warned of high pollution levels in parts of north Kent on Friday. They will be moderate on the day for most other southern areas.
MailOnline’s official betting partner Coral is confident that Friday will be the hottest day of the year, offering odds of 8/11.
Punters can also get 7/4 that the temperature reaches at least 28C. A Coral spokesman said: ‘The great British weather has disappointed us so far.
‘But the odds suggest that will change by Friday, with the hottest day of the year so far expected. Whether it lasts or not remains to be seen.’
Yesterday's top temperature in Britain was 19.3C (66.7F) in Edinburgh, while the lowest recorded was -1.9C (28.6F) at Katesbridge in County Down.
The most rain observed was 0.07in at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, while the sunniest place was Valley in Anglesey, north Wales, which saw 15.7 hours.
Previous washout: Revellers walk through the mud at The Isle of Wight Festival campsite in June 2012 after heavy rain hit the area
Three years ago: Music fans sit on benches in an attempt to get some respite from the mud at The Isle of Wight Festival in 2012
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