Families pack out beaches as Britain basks in the hottest day of the year so far

• Sunseekers packed out beaches as the UK experienced its hottest day so far 
• The Met Office said the sunny spell is expected to last for at least ten days 

Sunseekers today enjoyed the hottest day of the year, as temperatures in the UK hit highs of nearly 25C, making it hotter than Los Angeles.

Families made the most of the sun by packing out Britain’s beaches, as the Met Office said today was officially the hottest day of the year so far. 

Temperatures in the seaside town of Porthmadog, north Wales, reached highs of 24.8C, beating Plymouth’s Sunday’s record of 24.4C.

Scotland and Northern Ireland also record their highest temperatures of the year so far, with the mercury climbing to 24.2C at Tyndrum, Stirling, and 24.1C at Castlederg, County Tyrone, respectively.

The Met Office says the settled dry and sunny spell is now expected to last for at least the next ten days as the UK officially heads into summer tomorrow.

Temperatures were, however, much warmer in the west of Britain, as those the east experienced overcast weather throughout the day. 

‘It’s a west/east split this afternoon – very warm for some but chilly where it’s stayed cloudy,’ the Met Office said on Twitter.  

Today’s scorcher comes after thermometers hit 21C yesterday to cap off a balmy bank holiday weekend that saw Britons flock to beaches, parks and lochs, with many enjoying a cooling dip in the water. 

Forecasters say temperatures will remain ‘generally above average’ but not meet ‘heatwave criteria’. 

It comes after Sunday broke Saturday’s record, with Plymouth reaching 24.4C. 

And with highs of more than 24C, Scotland recorded warmer temperatures today than a host of hotspots including Faro in Portugal and Los Angeles in California.

Met Office senior meteorologist Rachel Ayers said: ‘It’s been a fine, bright day with warm sunshine across much of the country.

‘High pressure centred to the west of the UK is bringing settled weather, clearer skies and generally drier conditions.’

Forecasters earlier today said temperatures would reach 25C in ‘one of two spots – most likely across West Scotland’.

However, Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud noted temperatures will be ‘disappointing at times in the east’, with the mercury generally staying in the mid-to-high teens. 

Cloudy weather in eastern coastal regions and an onshore breeze from the north east resulted in cooler temperatures of around 13C on the Kent and north east coasts. 

The warm weather is set to continue for at least the next ten days, forecasters said.   

However, the UK east/west split is also set to continue, with warmer temperatures in the west and cooler ones in the east. 

‘The west will be the best with the highest temperatures and best of the sunshine, and it will be cooler and cloudier in the east,’ said Ms Ayers. 

‘Blustery north-easterly offshore winds over the next few days will make it feel cooler for anyone down at the beach for half-term,’ she added. 

Mr Stroud added: ‘We’re expecting temperatures just to subside just a little as we move forward towards the middle and end of the week.’ 

‘We’ve got high pressure sending across at the moment, which is bringing dry and settled weather and some late spring, early summer sunshine.

‘We’re expecting similar conditions for the rest of the week and into next weekend and probably beyond. So an extended spell of dry and settled weather.’

The meteorologist said May has been ‘very dry’ and with ‘just slightly more than half the normal amount of rainfall we would actually expect’

The Met Office’s long-term outlook states: ‘A north/south split is possible as June progresses, with northern areas having a better chance of dry conditions, whereas the South may be slightly wetter than average. In general, the temperatures are likely to be above average.’

Meanwhile, firefighters continued to tackle a wildfire yesterday amid the dry and hot conditions.Crews were first called out to the blaze at Kerrow Farm in Ross-shire on Sunday at around 1pm and they were still there last night.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had dealt with ‘multiple wildfires breaking out across the Highlands’ in recent days.