London weather heats up as temperatures expected to soar to 27 degrees celsius in hottest day of the year so far
Get searching for rooftop bars and beer gardens folks, for today is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far.
The Met Office’s latest forecast today expects temperatures to soar to 27°C in parts of the capital and the South East of England, saying it will be very warm and sunny.
“It will be dry throughout the day with plenty of sunshine,” the Met Office said. “It will become very warm by the afternoon, although it is likely to be a little fresher along the coast as a light sea breeze develops.”
Read more: London Marathon 2018 could be hottest on record as temperatures soar
The Met Office also warned of UV radiation from the sun, saying levels will be moderate and even high in some areas. It recommended wearing lightweight, light-coloured clothing, spending time in the shade and using a high factor sun cream with good UVA protection.
Lots of spring sunshine around today, but be aware UV levels will be moderate or even high for some. Find out more about UV and how to enjoy the sun safely here https://t.co/SwfabRTRAx ☀️ pic.twitter.com/2oklBN2N29— Met Office (@metoffice) April 19, 2018
The rest of the week is also expected to be warm, with tomorrow temperatures reaching 25 degrees on Friday, settling back at 22 degrees on Saturday and then edging up again to as high as 23 degrees on the day of the London Marathon.
Temperatures will climb even further tomorrow in the #sunshine, with possibly 27 ºC being reached somewhere in SE England, which will make it the #warmestdayoftheyear so far…again! pic.twitter.com/RBgPggGEf0— Met Office (@metoffice) April 18, 2018
John West, a Met Office meteorologist, said yesterday that there was “an even chance that we could see 23°C, which would make it the warmest London Marathon on record”.
West said the previous high was 22.7°C in 1996, and whether a new high will be reached depends on how much cloud is seen on the day, and whether any showers in the west will reach as far east as London.
At the moment, some cloud is expected from 1pm, so that could be some relief to those taking part and stopping temperatures from setting a new high.
Read more: The best places to watch (and drink) during the London Marathon