RAIN and thunderstorms are set to make way for sunshine and warmth this weekend, according to the Met Office.

The June washout will continue on Tuesday, with severe Met Office weather warnings for rain and thunderstorms covering large parts of the UK.

However, hot air moving in from continental Europe will bring with it drier, sunnier and warmer conditions, and by Friday temperatures in Greater Manchester and across Lancashire are set to hit 25C.

The June record is 35.6C, which was set in Southampton in 1978.

As the week progresses the heat is forecast to build. Peak daily temperatures across much of England and Wales are predicted to be well above 20C all week.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: "The continent is seeing some very high temperatures, with record-breaking temperatures expected across France, Spain and Belgium.

"We are not seeing temperatures as hot as Europe, but it will be warm for the UK."

Last year's record for June, a month in which the UK was hit by a series of wildfires, was 33C recorded at Porthmadog in Gwynedd.

Glastonbury festival-goers will be treated to consistently warm and dry weather, with temperatures expected to largely remain in the mid to high-20s throughout the weekend.