THE sun sprang out yesterday on what was the hottest day of the year so far.
After a chilly start to the week, temperatures topped 21C (70F) on the first day of spring.
In Brighton, beachgoers had a game of volleyball on the seafront[/caption]
And tourists enjoyed a punt on Cambridge’s River Cam[/caption]
Pals Joe Mason Jones and Emily Milne took a dip in the outdoor swimming pool in Hathersage, Derbys[/caption]
Many parts of the country were even hotter than the Spanish resort of Benidorm, the Greek capital Athens and holiday island Corfu.
In Brighton, beachgoers had a game of volleyball on the seafront.
Pals Joe Mason Jones and Emily Milne took a dip in the outdoor swimming pool in Hathersage, Derbys.
And tourists enjoyed a punt on Cambridge’s River Cam.
Sunseekers also flocked to beer gardens and parks to bask in the warm weather.
Temperatures of 21.3C were recorded at Northolt, West London, and Chertsey, Surrey.
They toppled the 19.7C (67.5F) in Crosby, Merseyside, on March 9. The warm front coincided with the spring equinox — which is the first day of astronomical spring.
But Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst warned the warmth would be short-lived with the mercury set to dip today before an expected washout at the weekend.
He said: “It’ll start to change overnight with western areas the first to be hit by an unsettled spell.
“Outbreaks of showery rain will creep into the South West and Wales.
“Elsewhere, it’ll be dry with sunny spells but not as warm. The weekend is looking more unsettled.”
By the start of next week, temperatures are expected to dip back to 13C (55.4F) with more rain forecast.
