UK temperatures have topped 30C during the past 11 days, forecasters said.
Warm and sunny weather is set to continue as drivers have been warned to expect the busiest summer getaway on the roads in four years.
UK temperatures have topped 30C during the past 11 days and the grip of the long, hot summer is set to last for at least seven to 10 more days, forecasters said.
And the RAC estimated that 14.1 million motorists will embark on journeys for holidays or day trips between Friday and Sunday.
That is the second-highest since it began tracking the data in 2016, surpassed only by 18.8 million in 2022 when the easing of coronavirus restrictions sparked a surge in travel.
Most schools in England and Wales break up for the summer holidays at the end of this week or early next week, while the academic year has already ended in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The RAC predicted Saturday will be the busiest day on the roads for getaway journeys, with 3.8 million planned.
Friday and Sunday will each see an estimated 3.4 million.
A further 6.8 million trips will be spread across the three-day period, with drivers unsure which exact day they will hit the road.
Met Office spokesman Graham Madge said: “The settled and fine conditions people are currently enjoying look locked in for the next seven to 10 days and are likely to remain strong.”
This weekend will see plenty of sunshine and dry weather, although there may be a few isolated showers and a dip in temperatures.
It is too soon to say whether the heatwave conditions will last beyond the next 10 days and towards the end of July.
David Hayter, the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, said: “Every day for the last 11 days, somewhere in the UK has seen temperatures reach or exceed 30C.
“The high pressure, which has brought this prolonged fine spell, will continue for the next week or so at least, but will shift enough to enable a more northerly flow that will introduce a cooler feel that will end the run of 30C days.
“However, we are still likely to see some locations remain in heatwave conditions to finish the week.”
Whether the current heatwave continues will depend on whether there are three days of temperatures above 28C in London or 25C for the rest of the country.
It comes as Britons have so far coped with a sweltering summer of above-average temperatures and persistently warm nights.
England has been particularly warm, with mean temperatures currently 2.4C above the average 21C that could be expected.
The Met Office said Wales is sitting 2.2C above an average of around 19.3C, and while Scotland and Northern Ireland have remained closer to their seasonal norms of 17.3C and 18.6C, they are still running above average at 0.9C and 1.3C respectively.
