A hot spell which saw the UK experience its hottest day of the year so far on Monday is set to continue, forecasters say.
A temperature of 24.5C was recorded in St James’s Park, London, on Monday.
Temperatures are expected to climb even higher over the coming days, reaching 25C in the South East and London on Tuesday.
Highs of 27C are expected on Wednesday, according to the Met Office.
Meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey told the PA news agency that the UK was “probably going to be surpassing that essentially every day”, with temperatures set to peak on Thursday.
He added that 29C could be reached in areas between London and Bristol.
He added that temperatures were “well above average for the time of year”, with the range over 10 degrees above what is expected.
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Some localised areas may see “one of their warmest April days on record”, Mr Vautrey added, even if the national record for April of 29.4C is not exceeded.
Average temperatures for late April are 12C for parts of Scotland and around 16C for southern England.
Warnings have been issued over high levels of pollen and ultraviolet (UV) rays and people have been urged to take precautions when outside.
The NHS advises people to protect themselves by wearing at least factor 30 sunscreen, spending time in the shade and wearing suitable clothing.
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The London Fire Brigade has issued its own warning around open-water swimming.
Craig Carter, the brigade’s assistant commissioner for prevention and protection, said water temperatures “can be dangerously cold” even in sunshine.
“Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how fit or experienced they are,” he added.
In the first quarter of this year, the LFB responded to 160 water-related incidents – a 32% increase compared with the same period last year.
