Mid-Wales, the last day of October and it’s 71F!
... but it could plunge to below freezing by tonight
THE beaches were packed, the ice cream sellers were booming – and there wasn’t a winter coat in sight.
Yesterday felt like a summer’s day as Britain basked in glorious October sunshine.
Temperatures climbed above 20C – hotter than Athens – in some places as people across the country made the most of the unexpected warm weather.
The hottest place was Trawsgoed, in Ceredigion, Mid-Wales, which hit 21.7C (71F). Meanwhile, Herstmonceux, East Sussex, recorded 20.5C (69F) and Bude, Cornwall, reached 20.1C (68F).
However, yesterday’s balmy Halloween was probably the last warm spell of this year.
Cooler conditions are set to sweep south today bringing the first frost of the autumn tonight, when temperatures could fall to -2C (28F). A further frost is forecast for Wednesday night into Thursday.
Although there was a foggy start to the day yesterday, Cornish beaches were busy once again with children building sandcastles and surfers enjoying the waves.
And on the Hafod Estate, a renowned walking area near Trawgoed, estate administrator Gwenda Page said: ‘It’s been very beautiful with blue skies.
‘Although the school holidays are now over, we’ve still had quite a lot of people up here walking in t-shirts having discarded their coats.
‘There’s no breeze – it’s like a summer’s day.’ Forecaster Nicola Maxey, of the Meteorological Office, warned of the encroaching icy snap: ‘A cold front due to cross the country overnight will bring a fall in temperatures, and a cloudy and foggy start to today.
‘Widespread frost is likely in rural areas tonight into tomorrow, and tomorrow into Thursday. We could see -2C (28F) tonight in frost hollows such as parts of Hampshire and Buckinghamshire.’
Yesterday was the third Halloween in a row which has seen temperatures climb above 20C.
Last year, temperatures reached 20.8C (69F) in Virginstow, Devon, and 23.6C (74F) was recorded in Gravesend, Kent in 2014.