Heat could hit 35C in London while festivalgoers should enjoy warm and dry conditions

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Rain and thunderstorms will give way to sunshine and warmth in time for the Glastonbury festival this weekend, according to the Met Office.

The June washout will continue on Monday and Tuesday, with severe weather warnings for rain and thunderstorms covering large parts of the UK. However, hot air moving in from continental Europe will bring drier, sunnier and warmer conditions, and by Saturday parts of London could reach 35C (95F).

The June record is 35.6C, set in Southampton in 1978.

As the week progresses the heat is forecast to build, with southern areas getting the hottest weather. Peak daily temperatures across much of England and Wales are predicted to be well above 20C all week.

Scotland and Northern Ireland will be slightly cooler, although the mercury is expected to rise above 20C on Saturday.

Nicola Maxey, a Met Office spokeswoman, said: “The continent is seeing some very high temperatures, with record-breaking temperatures expected across France, Spain and Belgium. We are not seeing temperatures as hot as Europe, but it will be warm for the UK.

“By Saturday we could be looking at 30C in the south, with London looking at 30C but with isolated spots of 33C, 34C or 35C, maybe.”

Last year’s highest UK temperature for June, a month in which some areas were hit by wildfires, was 33C recorded at Porthmadog in Gwynedd.

Glastonbury festivalgoers will enjoy consistently warm and dry weather, with temperatures expected to largely remain in the mid- to high-20s throughout the weekend. On Friday it could get as hot as 31C.

Both the UV index and pollen count are forecast to remain high this week. “People who suffer from hay fever might feel quite uncomfortable,” said Maxey.

The highest temperature of the year so far was 28.8C, recorded in Norfolk on 2 June