What a difference a day makes! Glastonbury revellers brave the rain as 30C heatwave comes to an abrupt end - with showers in the north as temperatures fall to 18C
Tens of thousands of Glastonbury Festival revellers endured rain this morning as they wore ponchos and put up umbrellas just hours after partying in scorching heat.
Showers hit the Worthy Farm site in Somerset today after Britain had its hottest day of the year so far yesterday with temperatures hitting 30.3C (86.5F) in London.
Cooler air is now taking control, with the UK Health Security Agency yellow heat health alerts issued for England on Monday set to expire at 5pm this afternoon.
The Met Office said fans arriving at Glastonbury today can expect some showers during the day, but fears of a washout or scorching heatwave have been allayed.
Mostly dry conditions and cool weather is predicted for the weekend, after a drone show and fireworks over the Pyramid Stage announced the opening last night.
The Met Office said conditions will be 'a little cloudy' with the 'odd spot of rain' this morning before it turns drier with plenty of sunny spells in the afternoon and some isolated showers. It is expected to be 'a little breezy' with a high of 21C (70F).
Light rain hits the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset today after a very hot day yesterday
Revellers arrive in the rain at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today
People wear rain ponchos during a shower at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm today
Glastonbury Festival campers wake up to cooler weather and a light rain shower this morning
Tents at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset this morning as light rain falls on Worthy Farm
The weather across the weekend is expected to stay 'mostly dry with plenty of sunny spells' and temperatures around average for June, dropping to 18C (64F) tomorrow before rising to 19C (66F) and 21C (70F) on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
It comes after the Met Office said yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with a high of 30.3C (86.5F) recorded at Heathrow Airport.
The previous hottest day of the year was Tuesday, which saw a high of 30.0C (86.0F) recorded in Chertsey in Surrey.
Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said the last time 30C was recorded in the UK before this week was on September 10 last year – nearly 300 days ago.
She said the weather would remain warm across much of the UK today.
'Tomorrow we've got a bit of patchy light rain moving eastward across England and Wales,' she said
'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.
'Further towards the north, actually it's going to be feeling cool.'
The Met Office warned that it will be 'unseasonably windy' in the northern half of the UK on Thursday, with gales affecting coasts and hills of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Inland gusts of 30 to 35mph are also forecast in northern England and north Wales.
The Met Office said: 'These gusts will make temperatures feel even cooler, especially at higher elevations, where severe gales are possible.
'If you have an outdoor event planned, are heading to the coast, or are planning a hill-walking trip, it's worth keeping in touch with the latest forecast.'
Festival-goers use a portable shower at a water point at the Glastonbury Festival this morning
A member of the Glastonbury cleaning team picks up discarded nitrous oxide canisters today
Rubbish is collected on the Worthy Farm site by volunteers at Glastonbury this morning
Discarded balloons left next to nitrous oxide canisters in a car park at Glastonbury today
Ms Chalk said the weather would begin to become wetter and cooler as we head through today and into tomorrow.
'We've got a low pressure system coming into the North West,' she said.
'That's going to bring windy conditions and some rain and showers - so make the most of the heat today and tomorrow.'
'As we go into Friday we will see bright and breezy conditions in the north, while showers are going to be focused across Scotland.'
She said the weather would remain relatively warm with highs of around 24C (75F) to 25C (77F) through the weekend.
Ms Chalk added that the northwestern UK is expected to see some rain on Saturday, with much of the UK experiencing cloud and patchy rain on Sunday.
An overcast and cooler morning in the Oxfordshire countryside this morning at Dunsden
The sun rises bringing with it spectacular skies over Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning
Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: 'A cold front will sweep down from the northwest to the South East, bringing with it cooler air and an end of the very warm weather many have been experiencing in recent days.
'A band of patchy rain, which could be heavy in the far northwest at first, will move east across England and Wales, bringing temperatures closer to average.
'It will still be very warm in the far South East on Thursday, but the cooler air will arrive by the evening, and then all places will enjoy a much cooler night than of late.'
Looking ahead, the start of next month will be dominated by 'largely unsettled' weather according to the Met Office forecast for July 1 to 10.
The outlook said: 'There will be a good deal of dry, warm, and settled weather in between frontal systems, with the best conditions most likely in the south and east where winds will be lighter.
Festivalgoers take cover from the hot sunshine during the Glastonbury Festival yesterday
Revellers sit to watch the sun set over Worthy Farm at the Glastonbury Festival yesterday
'In contrast, further north and west, it will generally be breezier, and any rain that does occur will be heaviest over the hills. Cloud cover will vary, with cloudier weather expected in the north and west, while clearer skies are likely in the south and east.
'Temperatures will be around average for the time of year, but on sunnier days with lighter winds, it will still feel warm or rather warm.'
Meanwhile the NHS said the number of people seeking heat advice on its website has 'skyrocketed' since the yellow heat health alert covering most of England came into force on Monday.
Figures from NHS England, which runs the NHS website, show that on June 24 and 25 there were 28,116 visits to the heat exhaustion page, compared with 13,598 over June 22 and June 23 - a 107 per cent increase.
Glastonbury comes amid planned industrial action by junior doctors, with NHS Somerset sharing tips on how to 'stay well' during periods of hot weather to help 'ease pressure on health and care'.
Visitors enjoy the sunshine in Weymouth yesterday - the hottest day of the year so far
People relax and take shelter from the sun on Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth yesterday
'We know that services will be under pressure this week,' Dr Bernie Marden, chief medical officer for NHS Somerset, said.
'With Glastonbury Festival also taking place this week and expected warm weather, we are sharing a few reminders about simple steps people can take to look after themselves, and stay healthy and well.'
The main stages at Worthy Farm are not set to open until tomorrow, with pop singer Dua Lipa headlining the Pyramid Stage that evening before rock band Coldplay and soul singer SZA play the famous stage on Saturday and Sunday.
Canadian country star Shania Twain will play the coveted Legends slot on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of acts will perform today with various smaller stages across the site hosting acts including singer and DJ Shygirl and electronic musician Joy Orbison, who will both appear at dance stage Levels.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) yellow heat health alerts expires at 5pm today
Fellow DJ MJ Cole will perform a set at Stonebridge Bar, while London-based artist Shy One will appear at the Glade stage.
Also today, fitness expert Joe Wicks will lead a group exercise session for festival-goers - raising their heart rates at the Gateway stage.
Meanwhile, Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis is expected to do his traditional musical performance, covering a series of classics with his band.
It comes as the British Horseracing Authority said it was looking into whether hot weather played a part in the deaths of four horses at a Devon race meeting on Tuesday - the highest death toll in a single afternoon in six years.
Happy Helen, Hallowed Rose, Bala Brook and Cuzzicombe all suffered fatal injuries during racing at Newton Abbot.
