UK weather: Britain’s ‘early summer’ continues with another day of glorious sunshine

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Britain is to enjoy a week of sunshine in a glorious start to spring with UK hotspots warmer than Athens and Madrid today – and forecasters expecting the bright and sunny weather to continue for ‘seven days at least’.

Temperatures this week are expected to be in the mid to high teens centigrade almost everywhere, with further 20C (68F) highs expected today in the South East as people enjoy an early taste of summer.

Spring officially started in style on Sunday when temperatures peaked at 20.2C (68F) at Kinlochewe in Scotland.

Yesterday beat it and became the warmest day of the year so far with temperatures reaching 20.7C (69.3F) at Porthmadog in North Wales and 20.5C (68.9F) in Northolt, West London.

And there is likely to be little change to the sunshine theme for the rest of the week across the country, with temperatures likely to be highest in South East England.

It also means gardens will spring into life with bright yellow daffodils blooming to kick start the season.

The Met Office expects the settled conditions brought about by a high pressure system pulling up warm air from the South to remain for the rest of the month.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to be above average in most areas, although they will drop later next week.

Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said: ‘There will be more spring sunshine to come during the rest of the week.

‘High pressure close to the east then becomes increasingly centred over the UK from Wednesday into Thursday and Friday.

‘That high pressure isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable. For the next seven days at least it’s going to bring plenty of warm sunshine.’

The clear skies mean night time temperatures will drop down to single figures centigrade and lows could even be around freezing in some rural areas.

But the temperatures are some way off the highest UK March temperature, which was 25.6C (78.1F) recorded in Cambridgeshire on March 29, 1968.

And it’s not all good news. Becky Mitchell, from the Met Office, said air quality ‘is looking quite low’, especially in northern and eastern areas.

‘High levels of air pollution (are) expected in the next few days,’ she said. ‘That’s because we’ve got light south-easterly winds and that’s just dragging in pollutants from the continent.

‘And I think because we’ve got very settled weather and it’s not particularly windy, it just means pollution levels can build up over a long period of time.’ 

While some people will welcome the warmer weather, for others the unusual temperatures will wreak havoc with their hay fever symptoms. Experts say rising temperatures may cause tree pollen levels to spike across the UK. 

According to the Met Office, the first week of spring will see dry, sunny weather and daytime temperatures in the mid to late teens for the coming week.

It is thought climate change may be leading to an extension of the grass and tree pollen season, with it starting earlier.

And people who suffer from hay fever believe pollution (64 per cent), rising temperatures (52 per cent) and extreme weather conditions (38 per cent) are the biggest environmental factors impacting their allergies.

The new research from Kleenex surveyed 2,000 people in the UK with hay fever and found that over the past 12 months many have experienced their symptoms getting worse.

This includes sneezing (72 per cent), itchy eyes (64 per cent) and a runny nose (48 per cent).

One third of those polled admitted to staying indoors because their allergies are too severe, while 12 per cent said they have called in sick to work.

The survey found that on average, increased symptoms for allergy sufferers resulted in a loss of two hours’ sleep a night, and 33 per cent of those surveyed said they avoid local parks and green spaces.

A quarter (25 per cent) wrongly self-diagnosed their hay fever symptoms for Covid-19.

According to the research, more than half (58 per cent) of allergy sufferers did not know what pollen they were allergic to, and only a fifth (20 per cent) recognised their symptoms for what they are.

Amena Warner, head of clinical services at the charity Allergy UK, said: ‘Living with allergies and maintaining a quality of life is not always easy. Enjoying everyday activities can become a real struggle.

‘With the realities that warmer weather brings, it is crucial that allergy sufferers be given the advice, support and tools to manage their symptoms whilst staying active and healthy.’

Kleenex has developed new technology enhancing its pollen forecast, and users can now check the forecast at home and work locations up to five days in advance.

People can also take a quiz to get a better idea of whether it is grass, tree, or weed pollen that affects them, giving a better understanding of their allergy so they can prepare for the season ahead.

Today, tree pollen levels are expected to be high across Coventry, Newcastle, Leicester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool. They are forecast to be moderate in London and Belfast.

Jin Zhang, global medical director at Kimberly-Clark UK, said: ‘When temperatures rise, primary sources of pollutants tend to increase, making the air quality even more challenging for millions of hay fever sufferers.

‘As such, global warming will likely cause pollen seasons to start earlier and last longer.’

The survey was conducted online by Mortar Research in March 2022 according to Market Research Society guidelines.