Britain experienced the hottest day of the year on Saturday, with temperatures higher than Ibiza. The warmest place in the UK was Bramham, West Yorkshire, where the mercury rose to as high as 24.3C. The glorious sunshine and clear blue skies are set to continue over the Bank Holiday weekend and beyond, with temperatures possibly reaching 25C on Thursday in the west of the country.
The warmest temperatures on Sunday are expected on the south coast around Plymouth, while further north there could be patches of cloud.
BBC forecaster Elizabeth Rizzini, looking to next week, said: “The high pressure is going nowhere.
“It is set to keep us dry and settled.
“There will be variable amounts of sunshine day on day, always with this onshore easterly wind.
“Then there will be more cloud out to eastern coastal areas and the best of the sunshine will tend to be further west.
“Temperatures gradually recover as we head through the week up to the mid-20s, watch out for one or two showers later on through the week.”
Jim Dale from British Weather Services told Express.co.uk that these were “perfect” spring conditions, ideal for picnics and walks.
“It’s very pleasant, very British,” he said.
“If you asked someone what is the perfect spring weather, this is it.
“We’re still in spring until the first of June when it turns to summer, but this is exactly what it says on the can.
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“Whenever anybody says you know what’s the perfect spring weather for the UK, well look out of your window because that is exactly what it is.
“And that’s how it’s staying for the vast majority of the country.”
Travel experts are warning of busy roads over the Bank Holiday period, as many look set to take advantage of the glorious conditions.
Research from the RAC and Inrix estimates more than 19 million leisure trips will be taken over the three day break.
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “We fully expect families to make the most of the largely fine weather over the coming days which is why we’re forecasting the busiest late May bank holiday since before the pandemic.
“Into next week and half term for many parts of the UK, day trips will also be a big feature with popular routes to the coasts and countryside becoming busy.
“Getting away early in the morning or delaying trips until the evening are the best way to avoid the inevitable delays.
“No-one wants a breakdown to get in the way of them and time with family and friends, yet so many of the jobs our patrols will go out to are completely avoidable if drivers complete a few checks before they get out on to the open road.
“Ensuring oil and coolant levels are where they should be is a must, as is checking tyres are free of damage and are properly inflated.”
On Saturday, drivers faced hour-long delays on the M4 and M5, while Dover saw “scenes of utter chaos”.
