Balmy Britain hotter than Ibiza

THE dreary Bank Holiday is set to be followed by temperatures hotter than Ibiza and the Cote d’Azur this week.

Temperatures could rise as high as 22C (72F) in parts of the South East on Thursday, forecasters say.

But the sunny spells are too late for those whose Bank Holiday getaways were dampened by grey skies and showers.

Most of the UK was covered with clouds yesterday afternoon and temperatures struggled to pass 16C (61F).

Reports of miles-long traffic jams yesterday morning suggested many had called time early on their breaks.

Meteorological Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: ‘This week is a funny old one, there’s a fair bit of rain and cloud around as well as sunny spells, with many areas gradually warming up until Thursday which should be the warmest day.’

But he warned: ‘Don’t expect the wallto-wall sunshine and blue skies we saw in April.’ There is even potential for thunderstorms on Wednesday in parts of the South. Forecasts for the weekend show highs of 19C (66F) – on a par with the South of France and the Balearics.

The hottest temperature recorded this year is 23.4C (74F) at St James’s Park in London last month.