A heatwave is to hit the UK later this week, with Edinburgh set to be hotter than LA over the weekend.

Temperatures are set to soar as we head into the weekend, reaching a high of 26C on Saturday, as LA has to settle for a slightly cooler 23C.

The heat will start to rise from Thursday when it will be 21C in Edinburgh, rising to 25C on Friday and even hotter at 26C on Saturday, before dropping again on Sunday to a still toasty temperature of 22C.

Following a top temperature of 20C today, Tuesday, June 17, according to the latest weather forecast from the Met Office it will be cooler in Edinburgh on Wednesday, just 17C, with a cloudy morning followed by sunny intervals in the afternoon. It will feel cooler, around 14C, thanks to winds of up to 14mph and gusts of up to 29mph.

According to the Met Office, Edinburgh is set to see plenty of sunshine over the next few days. With locals expected to flock to sun spots like Portobello Beach.

placeholder image — According to the Met Office, Edinburgh is set to see plenty of sunshine over the next few days. With locals expected to flock to sun spots like Portobello Beach.

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The heat returns on Thursday with sunny intervals in the morning and bright sunshine in the afternoon, with the top temperature for the day of 21C expected at around 4pm, after a cooler start at 7am of just 13C. The heat will continue into the night, not dropping below a balmy 16C.

And Edinburgers will feel the heat on Friday, with temperatures set to soar to 25C by the afternoon after starting at around 16C at 7am. Sunny intervals are forecast for most of the day, with sunshine in the evening, with another hot night expected as the temperature remains at 21C at 10pm for everyone on a night out, with it still feeling hot at 1am with the temperature at 18C.

The Met Office is currently predicting Saturday to be the hottest day of this mini-heatwave, with sunny intervals forecast all day and the temperature rising from 18C at 7am to 25C by the afternoon, before dropping to 20C by 10pm. The usual sun spots of The Meadows, Princes Street Gardens and Portobello Beach are sure to be crammed with locals eager to make the most of the sunshine and heat.

Sunny intervals are also expected in Edinburgh on Sunday, although it will feel noticeably cooler than the previous two days, with the temperature starting the day at 7am on 16C, rising to 21C by lunchtime and 22C in the afternoon, before dropping off to 16C/ 15C through the night and into the new week. Winds of up to 12mph and gusts of up to 21mph will make it feel a couple of degrees cooler throughout the day.