Politics
Mini heatwave this week ‘could smash 25C March record’ as Brits flock outdoors to enjoy Rule of Six freedoms
BRITS could bask in record temperatures this week thanks to a mini-heatwave as they head outdoors after months in lockdown.
Parts of Britain are set to be hotter than Ibiza over the next couple of days before chilly weather returns over Easter weekend.
Read our UK weather live blog for the very latest news and forecasts...
This woman is obviously delighted to be having an ice-cream while enjoying the sun on Hampstead Heath, London[/caption]
A woman soaks up the sun on Southend beach, Essex[/caption]
This lad is clearly happy to be out and about in a Nottingham park[/caption]
Punts in Cambridge resume as lockdown eases[/caption]
Yesterday thousands of Brits headed out into the sunshine to enjoy their Rule of Six freedoms as the stay-at-home rule ended.
Met Office forecasters say today will even warmer with the thermometer hitting 23C in London.
And it is likely to hit 24C on Wednesday.
Bookies Ladbrokes give odds of 6/4 the temperature could beat the all-time March record of 25.6C, set in Mepa, Cambs, on March 29, 1968.
The second warmest March day was 23.6C, recorded in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 2012.
Forecaster Craig Snell said the latter was “the one to watch out for” in terms of breaking records.
But the mini-heatwave won’t last long as temperatures are predicted to take a nose dive on Thursday as a cool front moves in from the North.
London is expected to reach only 15C and Good Friday is on course to be even cooler still at just 12C.
Rain is likely on Easter Sunday and there could even be snow on Eastrer Monday.
The Met Office’s Mr Snell said: “It is set to be a rollercoaster ride this week with the weather.
“But if you have Easter plans under the new restrictions the message is do them on Friday or Saturday. The weather is giving us plenty of opportunity to get outside.
“On Tuesday, there will be a chilly start with a touch of frost in some areas but then the sunshine will get to work and we may well see temperatures of 22C or 23C in East Anglia and the south east.
“On Wednesday, the cold air from the north will start to move down but for the south east it will be warm again with a potentially record-breaking day in store and temperatures of 24C.”
People flock to Greenwich Park to make the most of the fine weather[/caption]
A woman cools off in Brockwell Lido, London[/caption]
People enjoying the weather on sunny Sandbanks Beach in Dorset[/caption]
Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido on the first day of lockdown restrictions being lifted for outdoor sports facilities[/caption]
A game of volleyball in Brighton on Happy Monday[/caption]
Crowds gathered to make the most of the warmth in Hyde Park, Leeds as the rule of six returns[/caption]
Leeds was busy today as people enjoyed the warm weather[/caption]
People enjoying the hot weather in Southend, Essex[/caption]
Swimmers exercise at Hampton outdoor pool in south west London[/caption]
The sunny spell comes just in time for the easing of lockdown restrictions – with six pals allowed to meet outside and the stay at home order ditched from yesterday.
Elsewhere, temperatures will be above 20C across southern and central England, and in the high teens in the north.
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: “In sheltered central and southern parts of the UK, weather conditions will be much calmer with temperatures climbing in the March sunshine to highs into the low 20s, with the possibility of 24C in southeast England by Tuesday.”
Stephen Tedston and Keith Newman at Warley Golf Club, Birmingham[/caption]
A man rides a horse at Bamburgh beach, Northumberland[/caption]
Picnickers enjoy the warm weather in Southend, Essex[/caption]
Bathers swim in Saltdean Lido near Brighton[/caption]
This week’s mini-scorcher comes at the perfect time as Britain enters the next stage of its roadmap out of lockdown.
Two households can socialise in parks, gardens and beaches once more, while outdoor sports facilities can reopen.
Football and cricket pitches, tennis and basketball courts, outdoor swimming pools, golf courses and sailing clubs are now free to reopen after months of being shuttered.
Organised team sports can also resume outdoors, meaning grassroots competitions can take place ahead of the Easter break without the need for social distancing.
The warmth could continue well into April – in time for the reopening of hairdressers, non-essential retail and boozers.
Three friends enjoying a drink on the River Cam in Cambridge[/caption]
People enjoy a walk in Sefton Park, Liverpool on the first day of the easing of England’s lockdown restrictions[/caption]
Two tennis players talk during a game of doubles at Grantham Tennis Club[/caption]
A crowded Brighton Beach on Happy Monday[/caption]
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But Brits may first face cold air from the north over Easter weekend, bringing a dip in temperatures.
The Met Office told The Sun Online things will “take a bit of a tumble from Thursday” with cloud and some showers spreading to most areas.
Temperatures likely to be around or below average for the time of year, continuing over the Easter weekend.
There is even the potential for widespread overnight frosts.
Cyclists train in an outdoor group spinning class at Hampton Lido, London[/caption]
The seaside resort of Lyme Regis, Dorset, basks in glorious warm spring sunshine[/caption]
A man reads a book as he relaxes in the sun in Greenwich Park, south east London[/caption]
Sunseekers by the Hot Walls in Old Portsmouth, Hampshire,[/caption]
