Parts of Britain will be hammered by rain showers on Wednesday as the Met Office’s weather maps turn blue, indicating the chances of unsettled conditions. The weather maps come at the time when most of the country is set to bask in the third heatwave of this year with temperatures likely to touch 35C by the end of this week.

However, the north-south split will dominate the weather this week with several towns and cities in Scotland hit by rain. Other parts of the country will see warmer weather with areas in southeast England basking at 35C by Friday. Sharing the weather forecast for Wednesday, the Met Office said: "Staying cloudy with patchy rain in far northwestern Scotland. Dry elsewhere with plenty of sunshine. Very warm widely but feeling hot across southern and central England in the strong sunshine."

While some places in Scotland will see clouds and rain showers, the areas in the southern parts of the country are likely scorch in highs of 33C.

Forecast temperatures for southern parts of the UK include highs of around 32C on Monday and Tuesday, rising to 33C on Wednesday, 34C on Thursday, and with isolated locations potentially reaching 35C on Friday and Saturday.

The Met Office added: "While southern areas see largely settled and increasingly hot conditions, a marked north-south split will persist through the first half of the week.

"Scotland will see more cloud, stronger winds and outbreaks of rain on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures generally closer to average for the time of year. By the weekend, the warmer air is likely to extend further north across much of the UK."