Summery weekend is nothing to sneeze at... unless you suffer from hayfever

Temperatures could hit 25C over the weekend

A lovely summer scene unless you suffer from hayfever: rapeseed blooms in a field near the village of Brewood in South Staffordshire (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Britain will continue basking in beautiful weather this weekend after yesterday's hottest day of the year with a temperature of 25C (77F) in Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire.

Though some of the South East got off to a wet start today with thundery showers, forecasters said it would still be another warm day today and the good weather is expected to last this weekend.

Billy Payne, forecaster with MeteoGroup, the Press Association's weather division, said: "Today's temperatures should be similar to yesterday. There were a number of thundery showers in the South this morning, with warm air coming from France and across southern England.

"A few of these showers will last into the afternoon, mainly around the south coast but they could creep further inland.

"We should see up to 23C today (73.4F) with the highest temperature probably in the south of England, Wales and into the Midlands, but the temperature will creep into the low 20s in Northern Ireland and the North West too.

"But it is likely to fall just short of yesterday's high. The weekend might see some low cloud in the East which might take a while to move."

And the sun is set to stay out at the beginning of next week too before it becomes more unsettled.

But the bad news for hayfever sufferers is they can expect a high pollen count over the next few days.

PA