London basks in sun with heatwave set to stay for week

12 April 2012

Much of Britain will stay very warm this week after the country sweltered on its hottest day of the year.

Forecasters said the South-East will have temperatures in the high twenties until Friday at least, while much of England will remain warmer than average.

Temperatures reached a high of 30.9C at Gravesend, Kent, yesterday, putting conditions on a par with Mediterranean resorts and hotter than Bermuda's 29C.

The capital and the South-East had the warmest conditions, with Londoners enjoying a day in St James's Park basking in 30.1C heat. Heathrow Airport a high of 30.6C.

More than 100,000 people packed on to the beaches of Bournemouth and Brighton yesterday, with some city dwellers taking to fountains to keep cool.

Music fans also enjoyed the "hottest ever" Glastonbury festival in Somerset - ditching their wellies for the first time in years.

Before yesterday, the hottest day of the year was May 24 when the temperature reached 28.8C at Heathrow and the Olympic Park in east London.

The sweltering conditions prompted bookmakers to cut the odds of a record-breaking summer as thousands flocked to beaches or soaked up the rays with barbecues and parties in the garden to watch the World Cup.

Ladbrokes offered 3/1 that the highest UK temperature of 38.5C recorded at Brogdale in Kent in 2003 will be beaten.

William Hill was giving odds on at 5/6 that there will be no rain delays on Court One for the whole of the Wimbledon tennis championship.

Weather forecaster Gareth Harvey, from MeteoGroup, said temperatures would drop slightly compared with yesterday, with rain predicted for tonight.

"It looks as though it's going to stay very warm into next week, especially across the south-eastern quarter of the UK," he said.

"Temperatures during Monday will be 28C or maybe 29C in the London area."

While much of England will remain settled and dry, Mr Harvey said showers - and possibly torrential rain - would affect some northern places tonight and tomorrow.

"The south east will hang on to the best of the sunshine and temperatures will remain above average," he said.

"It's looking like it will return to the average elsewhere from Tuesday onwards."

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