Hottest February day ever
» Record temp for winter at 20.6C » Britain’s twice as hot as Athens
IT seems there is no need to go abroad for some winter sun at the moment – we have plenty of it here in Britain…
Temperatures reached a record 20.6C yesterday, making it the hottest February day since 1998 and the first time ever we have topped 20C in winter.
Instead of reaching for the usual hats and scarves, Brits headed to the beach in swimming costumes to soak up the sun at popular resorts such as Brighton.
The UK was twice as hot as Athens and warmer than Ibiza.
Temperatures hit 20.6C in Trawsgoed, West Wales. But the winter “heatwave” extended across the country with places as far north as Carlisle hitting the high teens in temperature. It comes courtesy of a high pressure front drawing up warmer air from as far south as the Canary Islands and even the tropics.
BBC weather forecaster Tomasz Schafernaker called the temperatures “utterly astonishing”.
But do not put away the winter woollies just yet. Although it will remain balmy today and tomorrow, the conditions also bring with them the risk of overnight frosts in places and patchy mist and fog in the mornings.
The Met Office warned a low pressure system building over the Atlantic will push the warm plume away from Britain, making it less mild and sparking some heavy showers. Meteorologist Sophie Yeomans said: “We are expecting a very different picture by the end of the week. Temperatures will come down.”
February’s previous hottest day was 19.7C at Greenwich in 1998.
But Green Party MP Caroline Lucas warned global warming was behind the winter highs and accused the Tories of ignoring the problem.
She said: “We are living through climate breakdown and instead of taking urgent action, ministers carry on as if nothing has changed.
“The Government must wake up to this crisis and urgently declare a climate emergency to prevent catastrophe.”