BRITS have flocked to beaches across the nation today to bask in the glorious sunshine.

Highs of 24°C are forecast for parts of the UK on Saturday, but a change in the weather pattern will bring downpours over the weekend and into next week.

3

3

3

The hottest day of the year so far was on April 4 with a high of 23.7°C in Otterbourne, Hampshire.

There is a chance that areas such as East Anglia, Kent and across the Home Counties could reach it on Saturday as this area “will hang on to the heat for the longest amount of time”.

The warmest April temperature on record was 29.4°C in London in 1949.

Fire chiefs have warned against using barbecues during the warm spell because of a heightened wildfire risk due to low rainfall.

An “extreme” wildfire warning was issued in Scotland.

Firefighters remained at the scene of a wildfire on the Isle of Arran, to the north-west of Brodick, as well as one in the Cumbernauld area of North Lanarkshire which broke out on Thursday evening.

Wildfire warnings are also in place for London and Yorkshire.

Firefighters tackled a blaze on Marsden Moor in the South Pennines between West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

Fire and rescue services in England and Wales have responded to 380 wildfires so far this year – more than double the number for the same period in 2022, which went on to be a record year.

But heavy rain and cooler temperatures are expected to follow.

The Met Office said that with the change in weather “meteorologically, we’re moving away from the conditions that have led to the wildfires taking place over the last 10 days or so”.

Grahame Madge said: “Conditions will obviously be changing given the unsettled nature, so we’ll be transitioning to the cooler conditions and some rainfall, which will further suppress any risks of wildfire.”

This is “not in any way dreadful weather. It’s just going to be a change from what we’ve experienced”, he added.

“If you can avoid the showers, then it will still be nice.”

There is also a chance of thunderstorms over the weekend across the South West and western Wales.

During Easter week, children on school holidays may be disappointed as an area of low pressure will bring more rain, which could be heavy in parts.

The unsettled weather is expected to last at least 10 days or more, the Met Office said, longer than initially predicted.

It is looking to be rainier than last month, when historically low rainfall saw England have its sixth driest March since records began in 1836.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has urged the public to be safe around water if taking a dip while the warm weather lasts.

Research from the charity found that when temperatures reach 21°C to 22.9°C, 2.5 times as many drownings occur each day, in comparison to cooler days.