UK NEWS

BRITAIN SET TO SIZZLE THIS WEEKEND

Sunbathers are set for a fantastic weekend

Friday April 13,2007

By Mark Reynolds

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As parts of the Continent continue to shiver, Britain is set to bask in glorious warm sunshine this weekend, with temperatures predicted to hit the mid-70s.

While the likes of Majorca remain cloudy and cool, parts of the UK will enjoy the highest temperatures of the year tomorrow.

Across the UK yesterday, sun-worshippers were gearing up for the hot spell, with bathers set to pack beaches from Bournemouth to Scarborough.

And thermometers across wide swathes of Britain are expected to rise even higher in the coming days, hitting 24C-25C (75F-77F) – 10 degrees above the seasonal average.

Much of the UK has already enjoyed warm conditions over the Easter weekend, thanks to a bank of high pressure that continues to cover Britain.

And after one of the mildest winters on record, spring is well and truly under way with early bluebells already brightening up woods and hedgerows.

Forecaster Daniel Adamson, of Meteogroup UK, said: “It will be very warm for the time of year, both Saturday and Sunday. It may not be wall-to-wall sunshine but there will be a lot of sunshine and be very pleasant.

“We will have high temperatures across the South-east, London and the surrounding counties to the west.

“The dry weather is due to high pressure close to and around the UK for the last few weeks. It has started to drift east but is pulling even warmer air from the Continent.

“Right up the spine of the country into the north of England there will be temperatures of 21C-23C (70F-73F) but cooler around the coasts.”

He added that Northern Ireland would see temperatures of 18C-19C (64F-66F) and inland Scotland 18C-20C (64F-68F).

But along Scotland’s eastern coast it was likely to be cooler, at between 11C-13C (52F-55F).

In Wales and the West Country, Mr Adamson said temperatures would hit 21C-22C (70F-72F).

And BBC meteorologist Tori Lacey predicted the good weather would continue well into the month.

“High pressure continues to dominate the weather across the UK for the first couple of weeks of April, which will keep the often quoted ‘April showers’ at bay,” she said.

The bright forecast has led to predictions of a record £275million gambling bonanza on tomorrow’s Grand National.
Simon Clare, spokesman for bookmakers Coral, said: “History tells us that hot, sunny weather on National Day encourages the maximum number of people to place a bet.

“The scorching weather forecast for Saturday will have the double-whammy of ensuring millions of people pay a visit to their local bookie and that everyone feels optimistic of their chances of winning.”

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BRITAIN SET

13.04.07, 5:36pm

I do not mind the hot weather as long as we find strategies to cope with the global warming and increased temperatures, but I think as usual we will find transport disrupted because it is the wrong kind of sunshine on the rail tracks

• Posted by: 1916july • Report Comment