Summer has finally arrived with temperatures set to soar over the next couple of days.

London is expected to record the highest temperature, reaching 32C (90F) on Tuesday, but Kent is only a couple of degrees behind.

It may or may not be enough to class the weather officially as a heatwave - that happens only when an area records three consecutive days with temperatures over 28C in London, or over 25C elsewhere.

Sadly, the weather is expected to break on Wednesday, with forecasts of thunderstorms and heavy rain.

The warm weather is due to a wave of high pressure across the country and warm air rising from the south, creating dry, fine and sunny conditions.

Simon Partridge, from the Met Office, said: “There is certainly potential that it could become an actual official heatwave.

“If not, it will be very close to it.

“If you’re out and about, it’s going to feel like a heatwave anyway, because also, overnight, things are going to turn a little bit more humid and muggy day-to-day as well.”

Today (July 28) temperatures are set to reach 27C in some areas.

The hottest day of the year so far saw a temperature of 31.9C recorded at St James’s Park in central London on July 19.

Temperatures are expected to be five degrees warmer than average for this time in July.

If you don’t like the heat, you need to travel to Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, where rain is predicted on Monday and Tuesday.

Despite Wednesday’s projected thunderstorms, temperatures are still expected to stay high for the start of August.

Mr Partridge added: “Usually you get these thunderstorms come through and then everything’s a lot cooler and fresher, but although it will be a bit fresher at the end of the week, it will still be about where we should be, if not a degree or so warmer.

“So a bit of summer is on the cards.”