Saturday was the hottest day of the year so far, with highs of 32.3C (90F) reported in Surrey.

But in the North, heavy rain and hail fell on Saturday evening - with the Met Office issuing an amber warning for thunderstorms.

The Met Office had been expecting up to 100mm of rain on last night - the equivalent of one month's worth - but the most recorded was 21.8mm in Billinge Hill, Merseyside.

Amy Bokota, senior operational meteorologist, said the lower recording could have been due to where the gauges fell - and said areas in the North West would still have seen torrential rain and hail, even if other areas close by enjoyed clear skies.

Meanwhile, a road in Worcestershire was closed on last night when a tree came down following heavy rain - bringing a power line with it.

Police officers urged residents to avoid the area for their own safety.

A yellow warning for thunder is in place from 12pm to 9pm today for Wales, Northern Ireland and most of western and central England and Scotland.

More hot weather is expected next week, with thunder and showers tomorrow - but by Tuesday onwards it is likely to settle.

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The UK Health Security Agency has also issued an amber alert for hot weather until 9am on Tuesday in the West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South East and South West.

It means the impact of the heat is "likely to be felt across the whole health service ... and the wider population, not just the most vulnerable".

A further yellow alert, which is less serious and warns that there may be some disruption to services due to weather conditions, is in place for the North East, North West and across Yorkshire and Humber, as well as London.