The summer sun is expected to give way to persistent rain next week as a band of wet weather heads in from the west.

The nation is set to bake across the weekend with temperatures reaching as much as 24C in the southwest on Saturday, and highs of 20C in Glasgow.

And the evenings will continue to be warm, with much of the country expected to be reaching temperatures of 15C overnight.

But while the mercury will likely reach 20C across most of the UK over the weekend, thundery showers are predicted to hit the north and west as early as Tuesday.

Rain is expected to spread to the rest of the UK on Wednesday into Thursday, as a heavy downpour sweeps across the nation from the south right across to the north.

Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures The number 20 bus struggles along Bankhead Drive, a flooded road in Edinburgh on 24 June Peter O'Brien / SWNS Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures An underpass is flooded with several feet of water in Stirling on 24 June Jamie Grant Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures The interior roof of a Tesco shop collapses under the torrential rain in Stirling, Scotland on 24 June James Charity Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures A local man slides down the flooded pavement on Murray Place in Stirling, Scotland on 24 June @meavles / Twitter Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures Floodwater nearly two-feet deep is seen outside Stirling University on 24 June Kirk Lewis Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures A stranded motorist is marooned on top of his car as flooding hits Meadow Place Road in Edinburgh on 24 June Shannon Fergus / SWNS Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures A car is partly submerged as it drives along a road in Edinburgh on 24 June Peter O'Brien / SWNS Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures Firefighters search for a blocked drain which has led to flooding in a car park in Barnton, Edinburgh on 24 June Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures Torrential rain on the A1 near Leeming, Yorkshire on 24 June PA Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures The number 36 bus struggles along Bankhead Drive, a flooded road in Edinburgh on 24 June Peter O'Brien / SWNS Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures A man directs traffic through a flooded road in Barnton, Edinburgh on 24 June Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures A stranded motorist is marooned on top of his car as flooding hits Meadow Place Road in Edinburgh on 24 June PA Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures Flash flooding in Edinburgh on 24 June PA Torrential rain hits UK amid weather warnings: In pictures Firefighters are on the scene of flooding i Stirling on 24 June Jamie Grant

But despite potential for heavy rainfall, the heat will persist – reaching 24C in London and 21C in the north of England.

A forecast for the end of the working week from the Met Office said: “Overnight mist and low cloud will disperse on Wednesday morning followed by sunny spells and showers for many, with the risk of thunder.

“Later on Wednesday into Thursday there is the chance of more persistent rain arriving from the west, and Atlantic weather systems are likely to bring some wetter and windier spells across the UK for the rest of the week.