Wildfires warning as temperatures set to rise

HOT weather is set to bring highs of 24°C to parts of the UK as fire services continue to warn of wildfires across the country.

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The Met Office said temperatures would peak tomorrow in London and south-east England, which could be the hottest day of the year so far, while temperatures could hit 23°C today.

In Wales, it will be slightly cooler, but temperatures are still forecast to hit around 20°C.

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

It comes as firefighters continue to battle major blazes across the UK.

Historically low rainfall saw England have its sixth-driest March and Wales have its fourth-driest since records began in 1836, according to the Met Office.

Dan Stroud, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "The average for this time of year is around 13°C, so it's going to be about 10°C above average on Friday. We've got high pressure at the moment which effectively acts like a force-field.