Brits bask in record-breaking 24C heatwave
Brits have been hitting the beaches and parks today to bask in a record-breaking 24C Easter Sunday scorcher.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have already hit their highest temperatures ever registered for Easter, with a chance that England could follow suit too.
The mercury reached 23C in Trawsgoed, Wales, 22.8C in Edinburgh, Scotland, and 20.7C in Helen's Bay, Northern Ireland, by 2pm.
Met Office meteorologist Dean Hall said the UK Easter Sunday record was 25.3C.
Heathrow airport recorded a steaming 24.6C to fall just short of the record, and parts of West Sussex hit 24.3C.
QUEENSLAND TRUE CRIME PODCAST SERIES LAUNCH
While most of the UK was decked with sunshine, the Met Office said it would be cloudier, cooler and windier in the far northwest, with rain over north and northwest Scotland.
Tonight temperatures will only cool off slightly - with up to 18C possible at 9pm and lows of around 9C by 11pm.
The UK's warmest Easter temperature was the 29.4C recorded at Camden Square in London on Easter Saturday in 1949.
The other warmest Easter weekend days include the 26.9C recorded at London's St James's Park on Good Friday in 2011 - when the mercury also reached 25.3C on Easter Sunday and 24C on Easter Monday, both in the Solent.
Mr Hall said in "stark contrast" to the dry and sunny conditions in the UK, Spain and the Mediterranean were experiencing showers and heavy downpours.
He added: "Spain is very unsettled as we go into Easter Monday. There are temperatures of 17C to 16C in Barcelona. There are certainly cooler conditions there compared to the UK."
Meanwhile, emergency crews are tackling a large wildfire burning on the famous Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire.
A helicopter has been brought in to help fight the fire.
More than 70 firefighters are at the scene, just south of the town of Ilkley, and police have being deployed to keep people away from the area.
West Yorkshire Fire Service said on Sunday morning 12 crews were on the moor using water jets and beaters.
A spokesman said: "Specialist wildfire units are also in attendance and a helicopter will be assisting with overhead water attack."
Sergeant Terri Green, from West Yorkshire Police, said on Twitter: "Please stay away from Ilkley Moor today. Deploying many officers to cordon it off due to dangerous conditions due to the fire. Going to need plenty of water and sun cream today for my team and I."
The dry, sunny and very warm temperatures have brought high risk of wildfires in Yorkshire and northwest England and a moderate likelihood for Wales and southwest England, according to the Met Office.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
