By
Lucy Crossley
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Britain is on course for the hottest ever summer and it’s starting now as forecasters say that the sun is set to stay throughout the rest of March.
Temperatures are expected to reach 19C in the south of England today, and although there will be a slight drop from tomorrow onwards, it will remain dry and mild for the remainder of the month, with plenty of warm days to come.
After experiencing the wettest winter since records began, Britons could spend the summer basking in glorious sunshine with experts predicting that there is a 75per cent chance the summer could be among the hottest ever.
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Sunshine: Walkers and joggers make the most of the sunshine near Windsor Castle in Berkshire today, as experts predict the summer could be the hottest on record
Warm: Temperatures are expected to reach 19C in the south of England today and it will remain dry and mild for the remainder of the month
Scientists at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, say Britain could experience an El Niño weather pattern, which occurs when waters on the Pacific equator become unusually warm.
Global temperatures could increase as a result of this, according to Professor Armin Bunde, leading to hotter temperatures around the globe, including in Britain.
It could even beat July 2006, the warmest month on record over much of the UK, when temperatures regularly topped 28C. The hottest temperature ever reached in the UK was a sweltering 38.5C recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.
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Contrast: After experiencing the wettest winter since records began, Britons could spend the summer basking in glorious sunshine
Forecast: Experts at the Met Office were unable to predict as far ahead as this summer, but said yesterday’s temperatures will continue across the region today
Red sky at night: The sun sets over the River Thames in Laleham, Surrey last night
Forecasters
at the Met Office were unable to predict as far ahead as this summer,
but said yesterday’s temperatures will continue across the region today
but will drop to the mid-teens from tomorrow onwards.
The temperature reached 19.3C in London yesterday,
making it warmer than holiday hotspots Greece and Turkey where the
mercury only reached 17C and thousands of people headed to beaches and
parks to make the most of the sunshine.
Tens of thousands of people raced to the beach in Bournemouth, Dorset, to try and get a good spot on the seven mile stretch of golden sand.
The temperature was 17C at the resort due to the coastal breeze and crowds of people were seen basking in the sunshine wearing sunglasses and T-shirts.
Crowds filled the promenade as many decided to go for a stroll in the glorious weather and the pier was a hive of activity.
Odds on: Bookmakers have cut the odds of March being the hottest yet to 5-1, with temperatures soaring above the normal average of 12C
Warning: Met Office forecaster Tom Morgan said those in the south should make the most of today’s sun as ‘it won’t be nearly as warm’ next week
Taking in the view: A young woman admires a crop of daffodils
SPRING HAS FINALLY SPRUNG – SUNSHINE WILL REMAIN FOR THE REST OF MARCH
Forecasters at the Met Office have
predicted that the spring sunshine will remain for the rest of this
month, with plenty of warm days ahead.
Although
next week temperatures will drop slightly, they are set to remain above
the usual average of 12C, remaining dry in many places across the UK.
Heading
into April, temperatures are expected to be around average for the time
of year, although northern areas may be colder at times, and some
frosty nights are possible.
The
nearby resort of Mudeford in Christchurch was just as busy, attracting
families with children and beach hut owners who took the opportunity to
fling open the doors.
The luxury timber structures are the most expensive in the country and can sell for up to 200,000 pounds each.
Debbie Jones, 39, from Ringwood in Hampshire, was on the beach with her husband, Mark, 41, and their daughter Lily, four.
She said: ‘After all the bad weather we have had it is so nice to see such beautiful sunshine and blue skies.
‘I have to keep reminding myself that it is March and just a few weeks ago we had torrential rain.
‘My daughter is having such a lovely time building sandcastles and paddling in the sea, it almost feels like summer.’
And in London and Birmingham thousands took the the streets to mark St Patrick’s Day with colourful parades including performances by Irish dancing troops and decorated floats.
Bookmakers
have also cut the odds of March being the hottest yet to 5-1, with
temperatures soaring above the normal average of 12C.
Sunshine: This couple in Brighton made the most of yesterday’s sunny weather
Lounging around: Sunseekers enjoying today’s warm weather in central London
Golden glow: A host of golden daffodils on display in London this morning
Blooming lovely: Trees full of blossom in one of central London’s Royal parks
Warm: The capital saw a high of 19.3C in St James’s Park yesterday and similar highs are expected today
The highest temperature ever recorded for March was 25 degrees in Cambridgeshire in 1968.
The balmy weather is due to an area of
high pressure sitting over the country.
Met
Office forecaster Tom Morgan said those in the south should make the
most of today’s sun as ‘it won’t be nearly as warm’ next week, though it
will still be dry and mild for this time of the year.
Mr
Morgan said today would be fine across southern parts of England: ‘It
will be cloudy across western parts of the country and in Wales. London
will see the highest temperatures.’
Life’s a beach: A man enjoying the sunny weather on Brighton beach in Sussex
Man’s best friends: A dog owner relaxes with his pets on the south coast
Glorious: The UK was sizzling in temperatures warmer than Cyprus, Majorca, and Portugal
Beside the seaside: A couple take in the view from Brighton beach
The capital saw a high of 19.3C in St James’s Park yesterday, and Mr Morgan said the city would see similar highs today.
But
there is no such luck for northern England and Northern Ireland and
Scotland, with the Met Office predicting cloud and some drizzle for
hilly areas across north-west England.
Mr
Morgan added southern England and Wales would stay dry next week
because of ‘high pressure keeping things settled’, but more cloud could
be on its way for the south of England from tomorrow onwards.
Packed: Brighton beach was packed with families enjoying the sun
Cool down: These young women enjoyed an ice cream on the beach
Sporting: A group of friends enjoy a game of beach volleyball in Brighton
Flying the flag: This summer could be Britain’s hottest yet
Ocean wave: A man takes to the sea on a jet ski off Brighton beach
Popular: The crowds on Brighton beach today
Brave: Two swimmers take a did in the sea at Brighton
All at sea: A sailing boat off the Brighton coastline
Tomorrow will be largely dry across England and Wales with
just the chance of some light rain over the hills in Wales and
north-west England.
Southern and eastern parts of England
will see some bright and sunny spells, but there will be more in the way
of cloud around, particularly in the west.
It will be breezy
across Scotland and Northern Ireland with some light rain and drizzle in
north-west Scotland, while Tuesday will be a more unsettled day with
showery outbreaks of rain spreading east across the UK, giving some
locally heavy and potentially thundery bursts of rain to northern areas.
Scotland and northern England will experience rain on Wednesday, although it will be drier elsewhere with some brighter spells.
Fields of gold: Daffodils in the sunshine on the banks of Clifford’s Tower in York
Picnic time: Londoners enjoy the warm spring weather on Regents Canal
Al fresco: These women took to the roof of a canal boat to bask in the sunshine
Cafe culture: Shoppers in London’s Broadway Market took advantage of the warm weather to eat their lunch outside
All that glitters: Dawn rowers on the River Thames in the early morning sunshine
Messing about on the river: A rower takes to the water in the sunshine
Making a splash: Kiel Culbengan, 7, runs through fountains in the centre of Bristol
Fun in the sun: The schoolboy plays in a fountain
Playtime: Ava Alder-Ashwin, 3, runs through the cooling water fountains
The highest temperature recorded for the UK so far this year was 20.5C in Gravesend, Kent, last Sunday.
Mild temperatures have also meant that British asparagus has gone on sale at supermarkets three weeks earlier than last year.
A
mild winter and growing hardy varieties under tunnels have helped bring
the crop onto shelves much earlier, Marks Spencer said.
The
season traditionally runs from late March and early April and this
year’s introduction matches the earliest ever UK asparagus in 2012.
Pride:Thousands turned out for the St Patrick’s Day parade in London, and enjoyed performances by these Irish dancers
Cheer: A young boys sits atop his father’s shoulders at the London parade
Holy: One of the myriad of floats on display in London
For the craic: Two teenage girls at the Birmingham parade today
Flags: Flag bearers and marching bands make their way through Birmingham
Character: Reveller Roger Thompson at the Birmingham parade
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FROM RISING TEMPERATURES TO HIGHER THAN AVERAGE RAINFALL: WHAT IS THE EL NINO PHENOMENON
Scientists
in Germany believe there is a 75 per cent chance that 2014 will be the
hottest on record with El Niño phenomenon contributing to rising
temperatures.
An El Niño
occurs when equatorial Pacific waters are unusually warm. It can change
ocean and wind currents across the globe, wreaking havoc on the climate.
During
an El Niño event the trade winds weaken so warm, nutrient-poor water is
not pushed westward and comes to occupy the entire tropical Pacific
Ocean. The cold water is not forced to the surface and the coastal waters of Peru and Ecuador become unusually warm, pushing up temperatures across the globe.
However, the warmer water has a devastating impact on their fishing crops which rely
on cool waters to thrive, and the region also experiences an extremely
higher than average amounts of rainfall.
The name El Niño is believed to have been coined in the 19th century after Peruvian fisherman observed it around Christmas. The word is Spanish for ‘boy’ in reference to the infant Jesus Christ.
Comments (166)
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Richard M,
Stockholm-Expat,
moments ago
Are they the same weather forecasters that predicted the coldest winter on record ???
willow,
down town,
moments ago
Oh we’ll…. I suppose it’s going to be wet all summer then…. These predictions are usually the opposite of the they say :/
olaolaola,
somewhereinthisworld, United Kingdom,
moments ago
In my part of Somerset its freezing cold and the wind icy, I have the central heating on and am going to light the fire as well.
hanzy,
surrey,
moments ago
What a load of rubbish. Love to believe it but they don’t really know what they are taking about!!
lindy,
Colchester,
moments ago
Its cold today in Essex,as usual the wind was chilly.
Artemis,
ZZ, United Kingdom,
moments ago
When officials have predicted the hottest ever summer in the past we’ve usually had a wash out. My indicator of a hot summer is when we have a freezing spring so this summer I dont think will be good.
Angel_Steele,
a town in the East,
5 minutes ago
St Patrick’s Day is tomorrow not today.
Matey,
Midlands, United Kingdom,
8 minutes ago
Yeah, yeah yeah! This forecast, if correct, would be the first one they ever got right. Don’t believe a word the DM prints about the weather. Remember November and the forecast of the coldest winter for 40 years ! I think they must get their forecasts from a janitor at the DM because the rubbish they print is unbelievable.
Nan Dingle,
Glasgow, United Kingdom,
9 minutes ago
Showers in Glasgow all day
MradamF,
London, United Kingdom,
9 minutes ago
Have just put my winter gear away. Better dig it out again after this MET claim.
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Britain on course for hottest ever summer in 2014 and it"s starting now
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