BRITAIN will today bask in a 30C heatwave as a Spanish plume brings a scorching start to September.

       But sun-lovers should make the most of the good weather - as the mercury will soon plummet, and the UK is expected to be battered by thunderstorms and rain later in the week.

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       People enjoy the warm weather on Bournemouth Beach in Dorset yesterday Credit: PA 6

       A man applies sun lotion during hot weather in Stratford-upon-Avon Credit: PA 6

       Britain was hotter than the Algarve yesterday Credit: ？Graham Hunt

       Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 30C in parts of the UK today and The Met Office has said some areas are edging close to recording an official heatwave.

       On Monday, the maximum UK temperature was logged at 28.9C in Larkhill, Wiltshire, closely followed by the 28.8C recorded at Santon Downham, Suffolk, and 28.7C at Middle Wallop in Hampshire.

       In Wales, the highest temperature was 27.1C at Usk in Monmouthshire, while the mercury reached 24C at Fyvie Castle in Scotland's Aberdeenshire and 22.2C at Ballywatticock in Northern Ireland.

       TEMPERTURES SOAR

       Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office meteorologist, said central and eastern England were the likely areas that could experience a maximum of 30C today.

       More widely across England and Wales, conditions will be in the mid-to-high 20s, while Scotland and Northern Ireland could see temperatures around 24C to 25C.

       Mr Dewhurst said low pressure moving in from the southwest on Wednesday make it "less hot" in parts of Wales and Northern Ireland, but "hot air" will remain in central and eastern England and Scotland, bringing highs of 26C to 29C.

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       Mr Dewhurst said central and eastern parts of England were "most likely" to record an official heatwave across Monday to Wednesday, but will only "just about make it".

       A location meets the UK heatwave threshold when it records a period of at least three consecutive days of daily maximum temperature levels meeting or exceeding thresholds that vary across the country.

       These include 25C for Wales, Scotland and south-west England, 27C for southern and eastern England and 28C for London.

       "We often get a warmer spell particularly early on in September," Mr Dewhurst said, adding: "August was particularly cool... and cloudy, so this spell is the warmest spell of weather since July for the UK."

       September has already beaten this August's highest temperature of 27.2C in the UK, which last happened in 2016.

       THUNDERSTORMS

       However, temperatures will fall later in the week, with an increased risk of some heavy showers.

       Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said that, although good conditions will last until Wednesday, "rain and instability" will follow, leading to possible thunderstorms in southwest England.

       Temperatures will plunge down as low as 18C by Sunday.

       By mid-September, conditions are expected to get even less settled with showers and chances of longer spells of rain.

       This rain could become heavy, particularly in the west and northwest - and more thunderstorms will be possible throughout the UK.

       However, it's not all bad as temperatures are expected to stay above average for the time of year.

       According to the Met Office’s long-range forecast, towards the end of the month, a tropical storm is due to cross the Atlantic which could significantly affect weather in the UK.

       But it is too soon to predict how drastically this will shake things up.

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       People enjoy the water at Warleigh Weir on the River Avon near Bath in Somerset Credit: ANDREW LLOYD 6

       The beach was packed with spectators watching the Bournemouth Air Festival in Dorset yesterday Credit: ？Graham Hunt 6

       Swimmers Oscar Stelzer-Hiller 22 and Ella Powles cool off with a splash in the sea at Brighton Beach Credit: LNP