UK weather: The hottest day of the year in Britain could arrive on Sunday, with sunflowers enjoying temperatures of 25C today, with highs of up to 30C on the way.

Britain could experience its hottest day of the year this weekend, with temperatures expected to soar to 30C.

Beachgoers enjoyed temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius today, with drier conditions expected across much of the country on Wednesday.

However, the weather is expected to become more unsettled from this afternoon, with early rain falling in parts of Wales, Scotland and western England later today.

Southern England could face wetter conditions on Thursday, with prolonged periods also expected in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

But with the sun shining this weekend, temperatures are on track to peak at 20C in the north, while they could reach 30C in the south.

High pressure could cause parts of the country to experience a mini-heat wave, which could start Sunday and extend into next week, said James Madden, an expert forecaster at Exacta Weather.

“Based on current indications for the weekend and especially Sunday (possibly soon), we will now see high pressure build up off our coasts and that will lead to significant warming, which will last for a long time,” he wrote in a Facebook update. “Next week and across much of the country in early August, some of it will become a more prominent feature.”

He said it would bring “mainly warm” conditions and even some “very warm temperatures” extending into the 30s.

He added that weather apps will start showing that things are “going to start getting really warm” on Sunday.

The Meteorology Department expected that temperatures today, Wednesday, would be close to their expected rates in most parts of the country.

A girl explores a row of lavender in the sunshine at Tarhill Farm near Kinross, Perthshire.

Photo: The sun rises over the ruins of Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset.

This will bring showers to southern areas, with isolated showers in Scotland mixed with extended periods of wet weather.

But good weather will return between Friday and Saturday, with a mix of “bright lights and rain” in most areas.

The agency said Sunday would be “largely settled” with sunshine, although some areas could see some fog as clouds move in from the west.

“The weather this week has been a fairly typical UK summer mix, with the lovely sunshine occasionally interrupted by rain or long periods of rain,” said Dan Howley, deputy chief meteorologist.

‘A frontal wave around southern England on Thursday could bring more persistent rain here for a while, where it could feel quite cold, but Friday and Saturday will see a return to bright spells for many and a mix of below average rain towards the end of July.’

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