Highs of 27C forecast as schools out for summer

Soaring temperatures are set to hit the UK next week with the weather likely to improve for the start of the school summer holidays, the Met Office said.

- REBECCA THOMAS, ALEXANDER BUTLER

Highs of 26C or 27C have been forecast for some areas of southern England from Tuesday and Wednesday after a weekend of cooler weather. It comes after the UK experienced the hottest day of the year on Friday with temperatures reaching 31.9C at St James's Park, in central London.

Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: "It won't be wall-towall sunshine and we'll see rain in the North on Monday and the rest of the country on Thursday. It also won't be as hot as recent days but warmer than the start to July. It will be an improvement. Overall, the South East and South are likely to see the warmest temperatures next week."