Sun hats on... for the hottest Easter in 70 years
BRITAIN enjoyed the hottest day of the year yesterday – with the promise of the warmest Easter weekend for 70 years to come.
Temperatures of 22C ( 72F) were recorded in East Sussex, and things are expected to heat up even more as the bank holiday continues, with London likely to hit 25C (77F) tomorrow.
A Met Office forecaster said: ‘It’s going to be dry, bright and sunny for nearly everybody this weekend. Temperatures are expected to reach into the 20s every day of the four-day break. It is likely to be the warmest Easter Sunday since 2011 and the warmest Easter weekend since 1949.’
Back then, temperatures in Camden Square, London, reached a sweltering 29.4C (84.9F) over the Easter weekend.
Supermarkets are predicting big demand for barbecue items as householders enjoy time in the garden.
Yesterday’s weather brought out sunseekers across the country, with one donning a swimsuit and straw hat to lounge among the tulips at the Botanical Gardens in Swansea. But there were problems too, with a huge fire breaking out at Lyme Park, a National Trust site in Cheshire. Dozens of firemen from Greater Manchester and Cheshire were called to the park in Disley, on the southern outskirts of Stockport, just after 4pm. The blaze was said to have engulfed a large area of moorland, with crews trying to stop the flames spreading to nearby woodland.
A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘There are no reports of any injuries, however Lyme Park has been closed to the public and visitors are advised to stay away.’ Those living nearby were urged to keep windows and doors closed because of the smoke.
In Cornwall, more than 80 firemen worked through the night to tackle large gorse fires on Bodmin Moor which were feared to have been started deliberately.
Four fires were discovered over a distance of two miles, with one witness saying that flames ‘very close’ to homes, livestock and a busy road.
A Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said early indications were that the fire was of a ‘suspicious nature’.
Emergency services first received calls shortly before midnight on Wednesday and the blaze was finally extinguished at around 7.30am.