THE recent blazing temperatures welcomed by the UK are set to linger into the start of the school summer break, weather experts have said.

Saturday saw the hottest day of the year so far with the mercury peaking at 31.9C (89.4F) in Southampton - making it the hottest July day since 2006.

The hot spell of weather will last into next weekend when many primary and secondary schools will have finished for the year and the six-week summer holiday will stretch ahead.

For Sunday, temperatures will dip slightly but are still likely to top 30C (86F) in England and Wales - particularly in the south.

The rest of the week will stay roam between the mid to high 20s, with the exception of Wednesday which is another contender for the hottest day of the year when temperatures could reach 32C (89.6F).

"Today is going to be another hot day, not quite as hot yesterday but a few places will see 30C," said Gareth Harvey, forecaster for the MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association.

"There will be a bit of cloud across eastern areas and a few sharp showers in the south-east but it will still be very pleasant. It will be cooler in Northern Ireland and Scotland, where it only reached 24C (75.2F) on Saturday.

"It's going to stay hot throughout the week, particularly Wednesday, and into next weekend. There's a small hint that things could begin change beyond that but we can't be sure yet."

But the merciless heat prompted warnings from health authorities urging the public to take care in the potentially "dangerous" heatwave conditions.

Retailers and supermarket giants reported booming sales figures as the soaring heat saw shoppers spend thousands on the high street and in an online blitz on barbecues, food, sunscreen and garden furniture.