20140703

Summer

Tomorrow 'will be hottest day of the year': Get the barbecues ready as temperatures are set to soar to 27C on Friday - and even Saturday isn't looking too bad either

  • Britain preparing for a glorious weekend as forecasters predict fine and dry conditions on Saturday and Sunday
  • Met Office say temperatures will be at their highest on Friday with parts of the south set to bask in 27C conditions
  • And the fine and dry spell of weather is expected to last well in to next week for most areas with no signs of a let up
By Tania Steere
Published: 11:26 GMT, 11 June 2014 | Updated: 01:08 GMT, 12 June 2014

Get ready to fire up your barbecue as the heatwave continues.
Forecasters say tomorrow could be the hottest day of the year so far, and are predicting sunny, dry conditions for most of the country this weekend.
The record for the hottest day  stands at 26.5C (79F) in Writtle, Essex, on June 9, which was then followed by flash flooding and weather warnings.
Commuters shed their jackets as they cross London Bridge on the way to work in glorious sunshine yesterday. Behind them, and way up above, sun reflects off the Shard, London's tallest building. Temperatures in the Capital today were due to hit 24C
+16
Commuters shed their jackets as they cross London Bridge on the way to work in glorious sunshine yesterday. Behind them, and way up above, sun reflects off the Shard, London's tallest building. Temperatures in the Capital today were due to hit 24C
With the sky glowing a breathtaking orange, you may be forgiven for thinking this was a Mediterranean sunrise in the south of France. But this stunning scene was captured over Marsden beach, on South Tyneside yesterday as Britain prepares for soaring temperatures this weekend
+16
With the sky glowing a breathtaking orange, you may be forgiven for thinking this was a Mediterranean sunrise in the south of France. But this stunning scene was captured over Marsden beach, on South Tyneside yesterday as Britain prepares for soaring temperatures this weekend
With the sun shining and regular rainfall in recent weeks, these poppies are in full bloom at Blackstone Farm Fields Nature Reserve near Bewdley, Worcestershire. Although there could be some showers in the midlands over the weekend, conditions are due to be settled well into next week
+16
With the sun shining and regular rainfall in recent weeks, these poppies are in full bloom at Blackstone Farm Fields Nature Reserve near Bewdley, Worcestershire. Although there could be some showers in the midlands over the weekend, conditions are due to be settled well into next week


Purple haze: Visitors enjoy the sunshine and rhododendrons at the National Trust's Cragside estate in Northumberland yesterday
+16
Purple haze: Visitors enjoy the sunshine and rhododendrons at the National Trust's Cragside estate in Northumberland yesterday
In bloom: The sprawling estate was once the home of Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong - and was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity
+16
In bloom: The sprawling estate was once the home of Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong - and was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity
Flora: The grounds of the National Trust estate feature one of the largest rock gardens in Europe, as well as Nelly's Labyrinth, a network of paths and tunnels cut out of a vast area of rhododendron forest
+16
Flora: The grounds of the National Trust estate feature one of the largest rock gardens in Europe, as well as Nelly's Labyrinth, a network of paths and tunnels cut out of a vast area of rhododendron forest
The sun emerges over the horizon in a stunning sunrise captured from a cave at Marsden beach on South Tyneside. Fine temperatures are set to last well into next week
+16
The sun emerges over the horizon in a stunning sunrise captured from a cave at Marsden beach on South Tyneside. Fine temperatures are set to last well into next week
Catherine McNabb, two, plays among the poppies at Blackstone Farm Fields Nature Reserve near Bewdley, Worcestershire. The fine spell of weather will come as a welcome relief to people caught in the fierce thunderstorms last weekend
+16
Catherine McNabb, two, plays among the poppies at Blackstone Farm Fields Nature Reserve near Bewdley, Worcestershire. The fine spell of weather will come as a welcome relief to people caught in the fierce thunderstorms last weekend
Sunny weather: Three-year-old Ollie Johnson from Christchurch, Dorset, takes advantage of the sunny afternoon on Bournemouth beach to build a sandcastle
+16
Sunny weather: Three-year-old Ollie Johnson from Christchurch, Dorset, takes advantage of the sunny afternoon on Bournemouth beach to build a sandcastle
Fun for all ages: Sophie Chivers, four, from Southampton enjoys the heatwave on Bournemouth beach as the sun beats down
+16
This sunseeker takes the opportunity to sunbathe
+16
Fun for all ages: Sophie Chivers, four, from Southampton enjoys the heatwave on Bournemouth beach as the sun beats down (left), while this sunseeker takes advantage of the warm weather and enjoys a spot of sunbathing

In the shade: This couple took a moment to get out of the burning sun and take shelter under a pink parasol outside their beach hut in Bournemouth
+16
In the shade: This couple took a moment to get out of the burning sun and take shelter under a pink parasol outside their beach hut in Bournemouth
Muscle beach: These young men enjoy a workout by the sea at Bournemouth beach's outdoor gym
+16
Muscle beach: These young men enjoy a workout by the sea at Bournemouth beach's outdoor gym
John Keggin took advantage of the glorious conditions to head out to sea. But he got more than he bargained for as a giant basking shark swims past his kayak off Port Erin on the Isle of Man
+16

John Keggin took advantage of the glorious conditions to head out to sea. But he got more than he bargained for as a giant basking shark swims past his kayak off Port Erin on the Isle of Man
John Keggin set out for a paddle with a few friends from Port Erin on the Isle of Man but within moments, a basking shark breached the surface right in front of him. The giant creatures are regularly spotted in the waters around the island between late May and July but it is extremely rare to get this close to them
+16
John Keggin set out for a paddle with a few friends from Port Erin on the Isle of Man but within moments, a basking shark breached the surface right in front of him. The giant creatures are regularly spotted in the waters around the island between late May and July but it is extremely rare to get this close to them

at