Edinburgh could hit 30c on Thursday with risk of more thunderstorms

Edinburgh could bask in 30c on Thursday, but the Met Office has warned of more thunderstorms in the evening.

Dramatic pictures show lightning over the skies of the capital in the early hours of Wednesday which could be repeated on Thursday evening and into the early hours of Friday morning if forecasts are correct.

Two day yellow thunderstorm warning issued for Edinburgh and the Lothians

Mercury in Edinburgh could reach a high of 30c today making it one of the hottest days of the year so far, while the UK could see its hottest day ever with temperatures predicted to pass the current benchmark of 38.5c.

The capital could see travel disruption if temperatures reach their expected highs, with warnings of potential flash flooding caused by heavy rainfall overnight into Friday.

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place for Edinburgh between 3pm and 4am this evening and into the early hours of tomorrow morning.

The UK’s temperature record sits at 38.5c and could be beaten today.

Passengers on a Eurostar train travelling to London from Brussels were evacuated into a tunnel due to a technical fault which saw temperatures reach close to 60c inside the carriages.

A body was also found after three people went missing while swimming in the River Thames on Tuesday.

Craig Snell, a forecaster at the Met Office, warned of potential flash flooding and power cuts due to heavy rain.

He said: “As we go through the course of the morning, temperatures will continue to rise in the strong sunshine. Maximum temperatures for the Edinburgh area will be 28 or 29 degrees, possibly in some places reaching 30 degrees celsius with a hot aftenoon.

“Heat will give way to potentially some thunderstorms. Not everyone is going to see them but there is a risk that there will be some fairly severe thunderstorms moving across the Edinburgh area.

“We could see some parts on Thursday night seeing some frequent lightning and some heavy rain and risks of surface flooding. It will also be quite gusty with a slight chance of power cuts. If you are travelling late there could be some travel disruption.”