Downpours for the south of England ahead of sunny and warm weekend

Days of glorious sunshine were interrupted by downpours in parts of the UK on Friday, but conditions are set to be drier for many going into the weekend.

June has brought a taste of summer with temperatures nearing 30C in parts of the country this week, as sunseekers enjoyed the mini heatwave following a washout May.

But there were downpours in East Anglia and the south-east of England on Friday, which saw temperatures plummet to around 13C in some areas for the end of half-term.

Umbrellas and raincoats were needed in Kent on Friday, where East Malling saw 20.2mm of rainfall, while Shoeburyness in Essex saw around 19.6mm, according to the Met Office.

Racegoers used plastic bags to shelter from rain at Epsom, while steady rainfall wiped out the third day of the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s.

However, Friday was not a washout for all, with warm and sunny conditions still on the cards for much of the UK.

A toasty 21.2C was recorded in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, while the same temperature was noted in Chillingham, Northumberland, and the mercury hit 20.3C in Cardiff, Wales.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said that rain is set to continue in the South East on Friday evening, although it will be lighter and more patchy, and is expected to clear by Saturday morning.

The start of the weekend could bring some showers in Northern Ireland and western Scotland, while most of England, Wales and eastern Scotland will see fine conditions.

“It will be a pretty good day for most areas, and certainly a warmer day for the south east tomorrow, where it could get to 25C or 26C,” Mr Petagna said.

Elsewhere in the UK, temperatures are likely to be in the high teens and lows 20s, with conditions generally warmer than Friday, he added.

Temperatures are set to remain broadly similar on Sunday, with the potential of 25C in the south-east of England, while there could be a scattered showers across parts of the UK.