Monday might end up being the hottest day of the year so far – but the sunny weather is not expected to last.

The mercury could reach 29C today with long periods of sunshine, following on from a bright and dry weekend.

And it is set to be another hot and humid night before a slightly cooler day on Tuesday, which is expected to be more like 23C in the East of England.

That is where the sunny weather is set to end, though, with a yellow weather warning in place from Wednesday.

The Met Office has put out the warning for thunderstorms, which covers the whole of the east, from around 6pm on Wednesday to 6am on Friday.

The warning says: "There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail and strong winds.

"Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.

"Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

"There is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads.

"There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost."

The thunder is expected to bring temperatures down, with milder highs of 18C expected on Friday heading into Saturday.