THE Met Office has revealed the exact date that glorious 29C sunshine will arrive - but there are thunderstorms on the way.
Brits are set to enjoy "hot and humid" conditions leading into the weekend, before "intense" downpours sweep in.
Today is forecast to be cool and dry for most, though some heavy rain is likely to move in over the North West as the day goes on.
Going forward, though, the mercury is predicted to hit 29C in London and parts of the South East tomorrow, with much of the country seeing highs in the late-twenties.
The only cooler area is expected to be the North West where a band of wet weather moving in from Northern Ireland will see temperatures held to around 21C.
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Met meteorologist Alex Deakin said: "We will have the rain from a low pressure system coming in across the North West during Thursday...and then another pulse of rain comes in across Northern Ireland and western Scotland on Friday.
"Temperatures really jumping up once more [on Friday] back towards 30C...but there will be quite a temperature contrast.
"Probably feeling pretty humid everywhere."
However, that humidity and heat bring with them the chance of thunderstorms, which are set to batter the UK going into the weekend.
Heavy rain, strong winds and hail are all expected to sweep in as a weather front to the West bathes the nation in low pressure.
Alex added: "Combining with the heat and humidity and that weather front bringing the moisture, those three ingredients are likely to spark some big thunder downpours on Saturday.
"There's the potential for some really quite nasty storms.
"It's going to be hot and humid...and then that likelihood of some intense thunderstorms dropping a lot of rain, large hail, lightning...typical summer thunderstorms."
Conditions are then set to turn "fresher" as the weekend wears on, though the Met warns they will remain "unsettled" into next week.
The possibility of storms is bad news for those hoping to enjoy the first weekend of Wimbledon, which began in earnest this week.
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It comes as the Princess of Wales was spotted sharing a joke with tennis great Roger Federer as she cheered Andy Murray on during his first match on Tuesday.
The Princess stunned in a glamorous green and white ensemble as she chatted to the Swiss icon, just after having to flee from rain while watching rising British star Katie Boulter on court 18.
The event was disrupted twice yesterday when Just Stop Oil eco-yobs stormed the turf to throw orange confetti in the latest targeting of a major sporting event.
The weather could also see interruptions to the third men's Ashes test in Leeds, which is likely to be a tense affair after England's Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped with the last match hanging in the balance.
England fans are set to hammer the "cheating" Aussies after their divisive tactics were slammed as "pathetic" by Piers Morgan.
