UK Weather: Today is set to be hottest day of the year so far with 25C heat hitting London and mercury set to soar even higher over the weekend as Met Office warns sun worshippers to slap on the Factor 50

Today is set to be hottest day of the year so far with high temperatures hitting London, as the Met Office warns Brits to wear SPF.

The forecaster said there will be highs of 25C today and could reach 27C in the south over the weekend.

But not all of the country is so lucky with showers and 'unsettled conditions' more likely in the north and northwest.

Thunder is on the way next week, with rain moving in from the west, the forecaster warned - predicting 'heavy and thundery' showers.

Due to the summer weather over the next few days, the Met Office warned those who will bask in the sunshine to remember to wear sunscreen.

And pollen levels are also due to increase, with medium and high levels expected.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson said: 'Many places will start fine and warm on Sunday, though it is likely to become cloudier from the west or southwest during the day. 

'This will be accompanied by scattered showers, which could be heavy with thunder.

'On Monday we're likely to see more widespread and longer-lived spells of rain, some of which will be heavy and thundery. 

'This will also lead to a much cooler feel to the day.'

The warm weather brings an increase in UV levels.

The Met Office said it is important that, if you are in an area that is particularly sunny over the next few days, to wear sunscreen.

Weather conditions are expected to return to a more unsettled pattern heading into next week. 

Rain and showers will start to move in from the west, due to a developing low pressure system from the Atlantic.

If temperatures do reach highs of 27C on Saturday, this will make it the warmest day of the year so far. 

The hottest day yet was recorded on April 12, with 21.5C measured in central London.

April 2024 was warmer than any previous April in records dating back to 1940, according to Copernicus, the EU's Climate Change Service.

Pushing up the air temperatures worldwide was both record levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the weather phenomenon known as El Niño.

Global temperatures typically increase during an El Niño episode, as warmer water spreads further, and stays closer to the surface, releasing more heat into the atmosphere, creating wetter and warmer air.

Surface air temperature for the month was 15.03°C - 0.67°C above the 1991-2020 average for April, and 0.14°C above the previous high set in April 2016.

Last year, temperatures reached 33.5C on September 10 in Kent on the hottest day.