...at least home is where the heat is

BANK holiday revellers basked in sunshine on the hottest day of the year yesterday as temperatures hit 24.4C (76F) – making Britain warmer than the Costa del Sol.

The fine weather is expected to continue this week, with Thursday and Friday predicted to be even warmer than yesterday after slightly cooler conditions today and tomorrow.

Met Office forecaster Dan Stroud told The Mail on Sunday: ‘For a change we’re having a very decent spell of weather on a bank holiday weekend.

‘Summer is coming. Temperatures will climb again over the next few days, probably exceeding 25C (77F) by the end of the week.’ Meanwhile, it was cloudy in Spain’s famous Costa del Sol, which managed highs of only 22C (71F).

Today will be slightly cloudy in the UK, with temperatures in the high-teens and low 20s.

An east/west divide will emerge, with warmer conditions the further west you are.

Forecaster Paul Gundersen said: ‘The jet stream sitting to the north of the UK is holding unsettled weather systems at bay and allowing high pressure to dominate, bringing fine weather to the vast majority of the UK. The current position of the high pressure means we will see a westerly air flow over the UK, a cooler direction than if air was being brought up from the south, and areas such as Spain or Africa.

‘So we are not likely to reach heatwave conditions, but temperatures will still be warm.’

The pollen count for England and Wales was high yesterday as the country entered the hay fever season and it is expected to remain until the hot spell breaks.