UK weather: High temperatures to continue following sunniest spring on record

1 June 2020, 14:28

The hot weather is set to continue into the beginning of this week after people flocked to beaches and beauty spots over the weekend.

Britons enjoyed temperatures of up to 28C over the weekend, with Britain recorded its sunniest spring on record.

The Met Office recorded more than 573 hours of sunshine between 1 March and 27 May, beating the previous record of 555.3 hours in 1948. 

It is also the driest May since records began in 1896 for England, with less than 10mm rain falling on average.

But the weather sent people flocking outside and emergency services attended incidents involving water, fires and littering, despite warnings being issued to the public. 

But the unseasonably warm period will give way to more changeable weather just days after the relaxation of lockdown measures, allowing socially distanced groups of up to six people to meet outside in England, on Monday. 

In Scotland, people from one household have been able to meet with another household outdoors since Friday, while in Wales the change comes on Monday.

Groups of six are already allowed to meet outdoors in Northern Ireland.

The high temperatures will remain until the middle of the week, when the weather will become more unsettled.

According to the Met Office, Monday will see high pressure remaining unchanged and keeping it settled across the UK.

There will also be plenty of sunshine and hot weather and staying dry with high or very high UV.

Temperatures will be above average for early June, but a little cooler along the eastern coastline.

On Tuesday, it will be hot and sunny for most once again, but with cooler, wetter weather for Scotland.

By Wednesday, there will be cooler and wetter weather moving south, with some heavy showers. Thursday will be a brighter and brighter day with some sunny spells.

People across England took advantage of the hot weather over the weekend to visit beaches and beauty spots, despite some authorities urging the public to stay away. 

Nancy Platts, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, asked people not to visit the area on Sunday and called on the government for more powers to implement a local lockdown. 

On Saturday, crowds of people had to be evacuated from the beach and surrounding cliffs at Durdle Door, in Dorset, when three tombstoners were injured after jumping from a 200ft sea arch. 

Scores of people defied attempts to close the beach on Sunday, with people being encouraged by crowds to jump from the same arch. 

In Lancashire, one man died and two others were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment after a boat sank about a mile off the coast at Fleetwood on Sunday morning. 

Authorities across the country urged people to stay away from open water, avoid lighting barbecues or fires and take litter home, as they reported having to fight fires and clear up rubbish left behind by visitors. 

More than 100 firefighters in the north-west battled to contain separate blazes as a result of the hot weather, with one moorland fire, covering 5km of land in Darwen, thought to have been started by a disposable barbecue. 

A tweet by North York Moors National Park on Sunday said: “Our rangers spent this morning at a beauty spot collecting 20 bags of rubbish, including nappies, socks, shoes, towels, chairs, gas canisters, BBQs, beer bottles, food and broken glass.“Please do your bit and take your litter home.” 

Rochdale Council tweeted that local beauty spots had “taken a hammering” from visitors and West Midlands Fire Service reported that firefighters spent the morning clearing up litter at Cannon Hill Park.

Scots flocked to beaches on the west and east coasts to enjoy the fine weather. Golf courses have also been open since Friday.