What next for the weather after the UK's hottest day of the year?

Wednesday was the UK's hottest day of the year so far, but for how long will the weather stay hot?

Pic: Peter Byrne/PA

The UK (and England's) hottest temperature - 30.5C - was recorded in Wisley in Surrey.

Wales, too, had its hottest day on Wednesday when 27.8C was recorded in Cardiff.

Temperatures have remained warm across much of the UK on Thursday.

But the mercury has already started dropping in some places, with "unseasonably windy" conditions emerging in northern parts of the UK, according to the Met Office.

Gales will affect the coasts and hills of Scotland and Northern Ireland in particular.

Inland gusts

But the North of England and North Wales could also face inland gusts of 30 to 35mph,

Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said there would be "patchy light rain" moving eastward across England and Wales.

"It's still going to be warm ahead of that though, especially across the South East, so temperatures tomorrow probably could peak at around 27 or 28C," she said.

"Further towards the north, actually, it's going to be feeling cool."

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Indeed the weather is also set to turn wetter through Thursday and into Friday.

"We've got a low pressure system coming into the North West," Ms Chalk added.

"That's going to bring windy conditions and some rain and showers - so make the most of the heat today."