The bank holiday weekend will usher in a noticeably cooler spell of weather after the UK recorded its hottest day this year, according to forecasters. Recent high temperatures, including the UK's hottest on record for May 1, have seen people across the UK breaking out their sunglasses and shorts after summer seemingly came early. The unseasonal, near-30C heat will be shortlived according to forecasts including BBC Weather, however, with a dramatic drop in the mercury expected this weekend.

Shifting weather fronts have already brought cooler temperatures to nothern regions, the broadcaster's weather service reports, but the last remnants of the week's bright and warm conditions will be pushed out on Saturday, May 3, by a north-westerly wind bringing a cold front south-eastwards. Temperatures on Saturday could still reach up to 22C in the south, but Sunday and bank holiday Monday could see a drop to around 12C in some areas, with wintry showers also forecast for Scotland.

Despite the shift, BBC Weather says rainfall in other parts of the country is unlikely over the bank holiday, with most places staying dry and even experiencing spells of chilly sunshine.

The Met Office has a similar prediction for the temperature change, with experts suggesting that Sunday will be the coolest day of the long weekend.

“Temperatures will range from low double figures in the north to the mid-teens in the south, with averages of around 10C in northern Scotland and 15C or 16C in southern England," meteorologist Craig Snell said.

“It will certainly feel a good deal cooler," he added.

“The May sunshine is still strong, so it won’t feel too bad if you’re under the sun but if you’re under the cloud it will feel markedly different.

"[But] by the time we get to Monday, we might start to see a recovery in temperatures [to up to 16C]."

It comes after the UK recorded its hottest temperature so far this year on Thursday, May 1, when Kew Gardens in west London recorded highs of 29.3C.