UK weather: Britain to bake in 30C heat plume in just days following thunderstorm burst

However, flabby low-pressure systems waddling around the coasts could delay rocketing temperatures.

The speed of their passage out of the Atlantic and across the UK will keep summer’s arrival hanging in the balance.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “On Wednesday, the most likely set up is for an area of low pressure coming in, and there is a reasonable chance it is going to hang back and linger to the west, and this could allow a bit of air to come up from the south.

“But not all the models agree with that, and some push things through a little bit quicker and bring that low further across.

“As a result, we won’t have time for that plume to come up from the south.”

Britain’s weather could start to change from mid-week when pressure systems re-align to nudge thermometers.

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But with continental warmth will come instability and the risk of widespread violent thunderstorms.

These could erupt during the middle of the week or closer to the weekend, delaying the arrival of heat.

Meteorological ‘members’ – a spread of potential forecasts for the week – all paint a slightly different picture.

Burkill said: “The members have are all similar on Monday with low pressure somewhere towards the northwest of the UK.

“Most likely is a relatively deep area of low pressure just to the north of the UK, and that will bring some wet and windy weather particularly to northern parts, but there are some question marks over how quickly this is going to push through, and how developed a feature it will be, it could be a bit slacker and take a bit longer.

“If we get that plume lingering to the south of us, then that brings the risk of a rise in our temperatures, but with that, a lot of instability and we could have some severe thunderstorms as well.”

Independent forecasters agree that mid-week thunderstorms could delay the hot weather.

Temperatures across southern parts of the country will be the first to rise before the north follows suit.

Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services and social commentator, said: “There is a real tug of war going on and depending on what happens with the showers and thunderstorms from the middle of the week, that may delay the hotter temperatures until the back end of the weekend.

“But we are looking at something pushing up from the Mediterranean and there is the prospect of some very hot weather arriving during the start of June.”

As meteorologists keep eyes peeled on rising temperatures, bookies are also keenly watching the mercury.

Ladbrokes’ Cal Gildart said: “The odds-on record-breaking heat for June have cooled, but with extended warm dry spells in the long-term forecast, keep those freezers topped up with ice lollies.”