By Joe Hadden

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Britons will enjoy a burst of summery heat on Friday before conditions deteriorate sharply over the weekend, forecasters have said.

Temperatures in London and the South East could climb to 27C, around 8C above the seasonal average, according to the Met Office.

Meteorologist Tom Morgan described the conditions as “very topsy-turvy” with a sharp drop of up to 10C expected by Sunday.

He said: “Tomorrow we’re going to see very summery weather, with parts of London reaching highs of 27C, which is about eight degrees above the average for the time of year.

“But it’s turning cooler as the weekend goes on, and before that we will see heavy rain in some areas.

“That area and eastern Northern Ireland could see some travel disruption and localised flooding.

“By the end of the weekend, all areas will be below average, with some parts of Scotland not reaching double figures – between 13C and 15C.”

Yellow weather warnings for rain have been issued on Saturday and Sunday for Wales and northern England.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service urged caution after a local alert was put in place from 9am on Saturday until 6am on Sunday.

The service said on X: “A yellow weather warning has been issued for this weekend covering all of Merseyside.

“Expect possible travel delays and disruption, with potential for flooding. Please take care, particularly when travelling.”

By Sunday, highs are expected to fall to 17C with lows of just minus 1C in north-west England. The South East will also feel the chill, with temperatures dropping to 8C.

Mr Morgan added that “other aspects of the weather this weekend” could include potentially strong winds, compounding the unsettled conditions.

Forecast highs and lows show the stark shift: Friday will peak at 27C with lows of 2C in Scotland and 14C in the south, Saturday will reach 23C with lows of 0C in Scotland and Northern Ireland and 9C in the South East, while Sunday is expected to top out at 17C.