BRITAIN will enjoy temperatures as hot as Spain with the mercury set to soar to a sizzling 30C (86F).

The scorching heatwave will culminate next Wednesday, which forecasters say could be the hottest day of 2018 for some parts of the country, after a weekend of wall-to-wall sunshine around the UK.

The blistering 30C peak will match highs in sunny holiday hot spots in southern Spain. Somerset is set to see temperatures hit highs of 27C on Thursday.

Somerset County Gazette:

Martin Bowles, operational meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “There’s widespread sunshine for several days due.

“Over the weekend it’s going to stay sunny across the board almost everywhere. “The temperature will be up a little bit each day.”

Saturday will see highs of 24C (75F) and Sunday will enjoy highs of 25C (77F) in the South East and London, but temperatures will be well above average widely, Mr Bowles said.

The average for this time of year is about 21C (70F) in London, 18C (64F) in Manchester and 17C (62F) in Scotland.

“We’re going to be widely four or five degrees above that tomorrow and the next day,” Mr Bowles said on Friday.

The forecaster said parts of the UK are likely to reach 30C on Wednesday.

“Monday 27C, Tuesday 28C, it’s quite likely, I’d say more likely than not, that somewhere in the UK on Wednesday will get 30C, probably the South East of England,” he said.

Somerset County Gazette:

Mr Bowles pointed out that this is not certain as Wednesday is still far ahead in forecasting terms.

If Britain does hit 30C it will be as hot as Gibraltar and parts of southern Spain, such as Marbella, which are also forecast to be around 30C.

Temperatures soared to a scorching 29.1C (84F) in St James’s Park in London in April.