Weekend weather forecast: Met Office confirm UK cooling down after record breaking heatwave with rain also forecast - here’s when

After a record-breaking week of soaring temperatures, the UK is set to cool down over the weekend, according to experts. Temperatures are expected to drop in the coming days, forecasters at the Met Office said, having seen thermometers hit 35C this week.

On Friday (May 29), experts said the south east was set for highs of 28C, with temperatures still remaining above average for many, but easing into the weekend. Outbreaks of rain are also expected to spread from the west before moving gradually eastwards on Saturday (May 30), the Met Office forecasters went on.

Temperatures should be near-average by Sunday, with clouds and rains set to affect the northern and western areas in particular, while brighter spells are expected in the east and southeast. Chief forecaster at the Met Office, Chris Bulmer, said: “We’re now starting to see this spell of very hot weather break down.”

He added: “As the heat starts to ease, the weather will also turn more changeable, with some showers and thunderstorms possible. By the weekend, temperatures should be much closer to average for the time of year with accompanying rainfall for many through the weekend and into the start of next week.”

It comes after a week of soaring temperatures which have led to tragedy across the country. On Wednesday, a teenage boy became the 11th person to die in a water-related incident over the course of the recent heatwave.

The hot weather has attracted many to open water swimming, resulting in a number of deaths in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire.

Tuesday was the hottest day in May on record for both England and Wales, according to the Met Office, with Kew Gardens provisionally reaching 35.1C and Cardiff Bute Park reaching 32.9C.

NHS England said there were 20,092 visits to its heatstroke advice page on bank holiday Monday, compared with 488 the previous Monday. Over the whole weekend, there were 36,724 visits. Elsewhere, people looking for tips on how to deal with sunburn led to 5,342 visits to NHS webpages, with a total of 10,314 over the whole weekend. Parents also sought advice on how to keep their babies safe, with visits to NHS web pages for baby first aid and sun safety tips surging by almost 3,500% on Monday, with 4,728 hits.

Duncan Burton, chief nursing officer for England, said: “While many enjoyed the rare treat of a sunny bank holiday, the soaring temperatures have been of real concern for many new parents, with a 3,500% increase in the number seeking NHS advice for how to keep their babies safe in the sun over the weekend.”