Heatwaves declared across England and Wales with higher temperatures to come
But Friday was not the warmest day of the year so far, with highs of 30.8C recorded in both nations, the Met Office confirmed.
It comes as thunderstorms are threatening to hit large parts of northern England on Saturday.
Temperatures could reach up to 34C in isolated areas of England, but rain, hail and lightning could be on their way, a Met Office spokesperson said.
An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.
'Many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, have now entered a heatwave following Friday's highest temperatures, Becky Mitchell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said.
While the national record for this year was not broken, Friday was the hottest day of the year so far for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
A yellow thunderstorm weather warning has been issued covering Nottingham up to above Newcastle, running from 3pm on Saturday until 4am on Sunday.
The Met Office warned the most intense storms could produce 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding.
Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: 'There are scattered thunderstorms coming through.
'Some of the rain could be quite intense, and frequent lightning, hail, gusty winds and some heavy downpours, which we haven't seen for a while.
'Some of the ground is quite hard at the moment, and when you get heavy rain hitting hard ground, it can cause surface water issues.
'You might find surface water on the roads, drains finding it difficult to cope and a small chance of homes being flooded.'
Temperatures are predicted to peak on the western side of the country on Friday, as a 'more changeable, fresher feel' starts to come in.
Ms Maxey said: 'Tomorrow, temperatures may continue to go up a little for the east and south-east area of the country, we might see them creep up to 33C, or even an isolated 34C, but we are going to see that change.
'In the west, tomorrow we should start to see more of this cloud come in, and we have a fresher air mass pushing in across the country.'
Temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, west London, on Thursday, amid an amber heat-health alert for all regions in England.
The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, is in force until 9am on Monday.
It warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions.
Following the hot weather, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has urged the public to take heat and water safety seriously.
During 2022's heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital.
Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: 'Heat is no longer just a holiday perk — it's a growing public health risk.
'We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities.
'Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip.
'While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold-water shock, even in summer.'
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