Britons can bask in the sunshine again this weekend as warm weather is set to return after days of rain and thunderstorms lashed the UK.

The Met Office forecast shows weather taking a turn on Thursday with more sunshine and fewer showers.

The forecaster said some patchy mist and fog can develop in places, but most regions will see longer clear spells. However, some rain is expected in the far northwest into the early hours.

The Met Office predicted Friday to be “dry and very warm” for many regions. Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, could experience wet weather during this period.

The weather is expected to get back to hotter conditions, potentially hitting heatwave criteria, by the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to be close to 29C in parts of the south and west and will continue to rise in the next few days, with a prediction that there could be an increase above 30C levels on Saturday.

The warmest temperatures will be seen in South and Southeast with London and Norwich experiencing close to 30C while minimum temperatures will also rise to 19C in parts.

“The weekend could get up to the high 20s or low 30s, the south east will see warmer weather,” Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said.

“The week will be sitting relatively warmer for this time of year but more subdued than we’ve seen, but areas will hit heatwave criteria as we get to the weekend.”

Last week, large parts of England and Wales baked in a 30C heatwave that led to health alerts and left taps to run dry in schools.

This June is already seeing average temperatures above record levels as maps show the weather throughout this summer is expected to remain higher than average. It isn’t clear yet whether last year’s extreme heat records will be broken.

The temperatures have been globally shattering records this year fuelled by increasing global heating with early heatwaves in Asia, the Mediterranean and a record wildfire season in Canada that blanketed New York in hazy grey smoke.

Currently, a “heat-dome” near Mexico is pushing temperatures above 50C, as the country suffers one of its worst heatwaves on record for the last few days. It is also sending some warm air towards the northern Atlantic, playing role of warming up the region.

Meanwhile, a “severe” marine heatwave has developed off the coast of the UK, smashing records for late spring and early summer and posing a serious threat to the fish and the coastal ecosystem.