Temperatures are predicted to drop by as much as ten degrees in some areas of the UK this week.

The Met Office has put in place a yellow warning to expect thunderstorms on Wednesday morning, and forecasts for Brighton suggest temperatures will not exceed 20 degrees for the rest of the week.

This significant cooling comes after a hot period which saw comparisons drawn to the summer of 1976, which was the hottest in the UK since records began.

Nicola Maxey, spokesman for the Met Office, said: “We are looking at a cooler spell as we go through the next few days.

“It is going to be cooler, fresher, with increased cloud and the chance of showers.”

While Wednesday in Brighton looks set to remain dry, Met Office forecasts suggest that there is a significant likelihood of rain on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday.

Whilst the intense heat of the previous weeks does look to have passed, warm weather is expected to remain in the UK until October, because of a global heatwave that has seen record temperatures set across Europe.

This has come as climate scientists have warned that the planet may have nearly crossed the threshold beyond which lies an ‘irreversible pathway’ to what is known as ‘Hothouse Earth’.

This describes a scenario where rising temperatures render the planet uninhabitable to humankind.