84F...IN APRIL!
Not a shower on month’s hottest day since 1949
BRITAIN sizzled on the hottest April day for nearly 70 years as temperatures soared to more than 29C (84F) yesterday.
Across the country, people flocked to beaches, basked in gardens and soaked up the sunshine in a heatwave that meant it was hotter here than Rome and Barcelona.
The big freeze of March seemed a lifetime ago as the Met Office warned of the danger of sunburn. UV levels soared to match that of the August Bank Holiday last year when it was 28.2C (82F).
Though the heat is likely to have reached its peak, forecasters said the warm weather would continue into the weekend.
The South East is forecast to enjoy the hottest conditions, though most parts of England and Wales will see temperatures in the low 20s at least.
However, it was not good news for everyone – particularly runners taking part in Sunday’s London marathon, who have been warned it could be the hottest yet.
Cheltenham racecourse was forced to abandon a race yesterday after a horse collapsed and died. And asthmatics and the elderly were advised to stay inside as the warm air drew in pollution from continental Europe, leading to high smog levels in cities.
Yesterday’s highest temperature of 29.1C (84F) was recorded at St James’s Park, London, according to the Met Office.
It was just 0.3C shy of the hottest April day on record, in Camden Square, London, on April 16 1949. The average maximum temperature for the UK in April is a much chillier 11.9C (54F).
Yesterday, the average temperature in the South East was 24C (75F) – the same as Madrid. In comparison, Rome and Athens managed just 22C (72F).
The hot spell has been caused by low pressure over the Atlantic and high pressure over western Europe drawing warm air to the UK.
Yesterday was thought to be the hottest day of the spell, with weekend temperatures dipping before showery outbreaks on Sunday.
Sunseekers crowded local parks and beaches to make the most of the heat – but some attempts to keep cool were incredibly risky.
Daredevils plunged 65ft off cliffs in Devon and the Met police warned Londoners not to jump into the River Thames.
Met forecaster Helen Roberts said: ‘This is an exceptionally warm period as the warm air comes up from the Azores.
‘We recorded the highest temperature in St James’s Park in London at 29.1C – the hottest it has been in April since 2011, where it reached 27.8C in Wisley.
‘It was also just shy of the overall record for April which was set at 29.4C on April 16 1949.
‘This is likely to be the peak, however, as it starts to get a little cooler by about a degree or two each day. The South East will hang on to the best of it for longest though.
‘Next week we are likely to return to more normal temperatures – there could well be a ten-degree difference between now and then.’
She added: ‘Hayfever sufferers should also be aware that the pollen is likely to start affecting them more now.’
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs yesterday warned vulnerable people to stay indoors because of high pollunLONDON
tion levels from a toxic plume coming from France and Spain.
The agency said air pollution levels will be at their highest today and tomorrow. A spokesman said: ‘There is a chance on Friday of localised high pollution levels near east coasts of England, with isolated pockets also possible in busy urban areas in southern and eastern England.
‘Areas of moderate air pollution are expected across southern parts of the UK, with more isolated moderate levels in the North, mainly close to coasts.’
Officials at Cheltenham racecourse yesterday decided not to run the three-mile-two-furlong Mares’ Handicap Chase. It came after a horse collapsed and died following a race earlier in the day.
A spokesman said: ‘Following a discussion between stewards, vets, trainers and jockeys, the fourth race will be abandoned due to race distance and the heat.’