Parts of the UK have basked in glorious sunshine on the country’s hottest day of the year so far.

The temperature soared to 27.6C at 2.27pm at Heathrow, west London on Saturday, beating 2019’s previous warmest temperature of 25.8C, set last month.

Conditions could heat up even more in East Anglia on Sunday, with temperatures of 28C or 29C expected – but with that comes a risk of thunder.

Areas in the south east of England have enjoyed the best of the weekend weather so far, with Teddington in south-west London and Wisley in Surrey seeing the mercury rise to 26.4C.

The temperature also reached 26C in High Beach, Essex, and 25.9C at the Iver water works in Buckinghamshire.

Weather experts set June 1 as the meteorological first day of the UK summer.

Met Office meteorologist Emma Smith said the hot weather is the result of the jet stream moving north and high pressure and heat coming from the continent in the south.

She said on Saturday: “For this time of the year it should be 19 or 20C in London and in East Anglia it should be 18 or 19C, where we could see the hottest temperatures tomorrow.

“The last time we had 28C was August last year. It’s hot for the time of year.”

Elsewhere conditions will turn cloudier and breezier, with outbreaks of rain across Northern Ireland, spreading to Scotland, north-west England and west Wales by the morning.

On Sunday, rain showers are expected to spread eastwards with a risk of isolated thundery showers in the east and south east, accompanying the hot weather.

Monday is forecast to be windy with showers in the west and north-west, while dryer and brighter elsewhere.