The longest day of the year is set to spark a run of hot weather that will see temperatures burst 30C and bring a heatwave lasting at least ten days.

Today's Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year with more hours of daylight than any other - will see plenty of sunshine with temperatures around 16C.

But it is the start of a 14 day spell with temperatures building and they are likely to peak by the middle of next week.

Some computer models have indicated a prolonged hot spell for areas of southern England, the Midlands and Wales - with only slightly ​lower values for Huddersfield ​- ​with up to 10 days of sweltering temperatures predicted.

​The mercury could rocket into the low 30s C by Wednesday under baking sunshine with just a light breeze as a scorching southerly air flow blows northwards from France​, Spain and Portugal​.​

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​Meteorologist Amy Hodgson, of The Weather Channel , said: “It is looking like we’re going to get some lovely hot and sunny weather. “There is now high confidence that temperatures will increase to above to well-above normal through next week.

“Sunny, dry and very warm conditions are expected across much of Europe under high pressure that will be centred across the British Isles on Monday."

And Huddersfield weather expert Paul Stevens tweeted: "A lovely longest day ahead with plenty of sunshine, fresh in NW wind, (snow fell last night in Scotland) with scattered clouds, 16c. Temps here fell to 7c last night.

"Tonight just a chilly 6c with clear spells. For the next 14 days its all about a building high pressure with good spells of increasingly hot sunshine from Sunday onwards with 28c-30c possible by Wed/Thurs as summer chills turns into a Huddersfield summer heatwave by next week that will last at least 7-10 days & a good possibility much longer with just the odd storm."