SUNSEEKERS have been enjoying the current sunny spell across most of the UK as temperatures hit a high of 24C.
Sun lovers have more to look forward to as forecasters predict and three month period of warm weather.
Temperatures hit a sizzling 25.5C in Gosport Hampshire on Saturday, April 20 while a number of other parts in the south of England hovering around the 24C mark.
February this year was the hottest on record with temperatures averaging 10C, beating the 9.8C recorded in 1998.
The warmest day of that month was on February 25 when temperatures hit 20.6C in Trawsgoed, Ceredigion in Wales.
In the summer of 1976, Heathrow had 16 consecutive days over 30C from June 23 to July 8, and for 15 consecutive days from June 23 to July 7 temperatures reached 32.2C somewhere in England.
But the single hottest temperature of 38.5C was set on August 10, 2003.
The Met Office’s long-range weather forecast says higher than average temperatures are more likely all the way to the beginning of July.
Although it’s not yet possible to predict exactly how hot it will get in coming months, the long-range weather outlook is currently looking on the warmer side over the coming weeks.
Met Office meteorologist Sarah Kent told The Sun Online: “The forecast is based on probabilities that are averaged over the whole three month period.
“So it’s a little bit like odds on a horse race – it’s not saying other outcomes are not possible, but that on balance over the three months we are slightly more likely to have warmer than average conditions.
“It’s not saying hot days, necessarily; it might be milder nights, for instance.”
When the mercury shoots up there are several obvious precautions to take.
It is advised to make sure you drink a lot of water to make sure you stay hydrated during the hot spell.
Keeping a bottle of sunscreen with you to soak up those UV rays is also highly advisable as is ensuring you have a hat to prevent sunstroke.
The World Meteorological Organisation definition of a heatwave is “when the daily maximum temperature of more than five consecutive days exceeds the average maximum temperature by 5C, the normal period being 1961-1990”.
They are most common in summer when high pressure develops across an area.
High-pressure systems are slow-moving and can persist over an area for a prolonged period of time such as days or weeks.
They can occur in the UK due to the location of the jet stream, which is usually to the north of the UK in the summer.
This can allow high pressure to develop over the UK resulting in persistent dry and settled weather.
The recent heat caused train tracks to buckle, fires to rage through scorched moorland and people struggling to sleep at night.
The heat posed a threat to life in the Peak District where crews were called out to battle wildfires/
Meanwhile, speed restrictions were imposed on some of Britain’s railways, including the line from London Waterloo to New Malden, over concern tracks would buckle.
Andy Thomas of Network Rail said the tracks in direct sunlight could sore to 20C above air temperature.
He said this causes the “steel to expand markedly,and could buckle, causing travel disruption”.
And a pavement in Kirkgate, Leith, warped and rose in temperatures of up to 24C.
Public Health England warned the high temperatures pose a serious health risk to young children and the elderly.
