Temperatures in Britain hit 25C on Friday ahead of the May Day festivities and the long bank holiday weekend.
But forecasters warn the early‑summer feeling may be short-lived, with heavy rain and thunder waiting in the wings.
The London–East Anglia corridor was expected to see the year’s warmest temperatures so far, possibly nudging some areas past the 26C forecast for Hawaii’s capital.
Elsewhere, Edinburgh may be warmer than Athens, with temperatures of 18C, compared to the Greek capital’s forecast highs of just 14C for Friday.
Temperatures are around 10C above average for early May, though still shy of the April record of 29.4C set in 1949.
The warmth arrives as May Day celebrations roll out across the country, including the Clun Green Man Festival in Shropshire, the Padstow ‘Obby ’Oss in Cornwall, and Hastings’ Jack in the Green in East Sussex.
By Friday afternoon, the cold wind which this week has been chilling some areas – especially on the UK’s eastern and southern coasts – will begin to see considerable changes as the wind, which has been coming from the north and the east, will change direction and bring warm air up from the south, bringing an end to the cool bright weather in these places.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “It’s not as warm further west because there’s more cloud around. But particularly in the east on this east coast where that wind has been bringing a chill for much of the week from the North Sea it will feel quite a bit warmer than it did yesterday.”
But Friday’s party atmosphere may not last. “We’ve got some very warm, humid air coming up from the south,” meteorologist Simon Partridge said. “That means we’ll see the best of the sunshine in the east and South East.”
Further north, parts of Scotland, the Pennines and the Midlands could see downpours and thunder as the heat builds.
“As we head into the first bank holiday of the summer, many people may be planning to spend more time outside,” said Holly Clements, the Met Office’s head of warnings and guidance. “While warm sunshine is welcome for some, it’s important to be prepared for higher UV levels, pollen and the potential for weather conditions to change.”
Saturday is expected to bring bright spells and showers, while Sunday looks decidedly wetter for most of the country.
The Met Office’s Mr Deakin added: “Changes are definitely on the way, but for many of us, but today will be another sunny one and probably the warmest day of the week.”
