UK Weather: It's Officially The Hottest May Bank Holiday Weekend On Record

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Expect to hear work colleagues complaining about sunburn tomorrow as the UK has sizzled over the last three days - with weather forecasters confirming the country has recorded the hottest early May Bank Holiday weekend on record.

With just about every square inch park and beach in the country covered with sun worshippers, the Met Office revealed temperatures in Northolt, west London, reached 28.7C (83.6F) - the highest the since records began.

The previous record was set in 1995 when temperatures peaked on the Saturday at 28.6C (83.4F).

And the record-breaking doesn’t end there, with the soaring temperatures also making it the hottest Bank Holiday Monday since people starting writing this stuff down.

The early May Bank Holiday was introduced in 1978 and the temperature over the long weekend has never topped the 28C (82.4F) mark until today.

More important than that is the that dear old Blighty is boasting conditions more reminiscent of foreign climes - with the UK basking in temperatures hotter than Madrid, Athens and Miami.

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Grainne Gallanagh and Ruth Chalke sunbathing in Hyde Park.
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People look at cherry trees in blossom as they enjoy the warm and sunny weather in Greenwich Park, south London.
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Sunbathers Ruan Opperman and Harriet Curry in Regent's Park, London.
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Philip Tokarcyk, aged two, enjoys the sunshine on the Stray in Harrogate.
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The South East and central southern England are experiencing the most heat, with the majority of the UK seeing temperatures between 23C (73.4F) and 27C (80.6F).

The maximum average temperatures for May are 13C (55.4F) in the North and 16C (42.8F) in the South.

This weekend’s hot conditions have been created by a mix of low pressure, light winds and consistent sunshine.

But not everyone is basking under blue skies – it is cloudier across Northern Ireland and Scotland, the Met Office said.

And low cloud, mist and sea fog is affecting the northern coast of Devon and Cornwall.

Temperatures are expected to cool slightly from Tuesday as the warm jet stream moves diagonally south east across the UK and is replaced by cooler air.

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People enjoying the hot weather on Brighton beach.
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The weather is set to become mixed as the month progresses and the May 19 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle draws near.

Looking at the long-range forecast, which is not as accurate as the shorter range forecast, Met Office forecaster Charlie Powell said: “It looks like we should be prepared for some pretty changeable weather throughout the second half of May.

“We’re still going to see some dry days, but there’s still going to be some wet days mixed in as well.”

Referring to the day of the eagerly anticipated wedding, Mr Powell added: “We’ve got this idea that there could be some warmer spells, most likely across the south and east of England, so at least that bodes well for wedding locations and things like that.”

He said temperatures will generally be above normal, but this will depend on whether it is a sunny day or a sunny, wetter day.