UK weather: Hundreds of Brits head to beaches & parks as temps hit 26C – but it won’t last for long

SUN-SOAKED Brits have spent the weekend basking in the 26C heat with hundreds flocking down to the beach.

UK temperatures soared on Saturday to officially cement this year as the sunniest spring on record – but the weather won’t stay around for long.

AlamySun-soaked Brits have spent the weekend basking in the 26C heat with hundreds flocking down to the beach[/caption] PAMuch of London was packed out with happy Brits basking in the sun[/caption] AlamyWeymouth beachgoers topped up on their tans[/caption] nb press ltdHappy Brits took advantage of the weather and headed to York racecourse[/caption]

Heathrow in west London peaked at 26.7C which was about 8C hotter than the average in the area for the time of year.

The scorching heat also brought with it very high levels of grass pollen in the South East.

The final day of May topped off a hot few months in the UK with provisional figures from the Met Office showing 630 hours of sunshine were clocked up between March 1 and May 27.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “It’s the last day of meteorological spring today but it’ll actually feel more like midsummer for some southern and eastern areas.

“It’s fairly warm in that sunshine, particularly across more eastern and south-eastern parts of the UK, with temperatures in the mid 20s.”

As pub gardens and parks filled up, another bustling venue full of sun-loving Brits York racecourse.

Racegoers were determined to make the most of the good weather and were aiming to top up their tans while watching the horses.

Many had talked up the “Iberian heat” across the week.

The Met Office said the jet stream, which is coming up from the Atlantic Ocean, will allow warm air to be drawn up from the Iberian Peninsula, carrying it to the UK.

This led to the above-average temperatures in many parts of Britain.

AlamyLyme Regis beach in Dorset was packed out with families on Saturday[/caption] AlamyPeople relaxing in the warm afternoon sunshine on Wimbledon Common, south west London[/caption] AlamyHorses and dogs enjoyed the heat at Wimbledon Common[/caption]

But Sunday showers are set to rain on the weather’s parade.

Mr Morgan said it is already looking like a “different story” in the North West of England with people experiencing cooler and more showery weather.

This is expected to spread across much of Britain on Sunday.

He said: “Further showers and longer spells of rain across the north of the UK and feeling much fresher for all of us by tomorrow.

“Generally a fine start for many parts of England and Wales, a mixture of clouds and sunny spells overall though it will be a breezier day tomorrow and generally a bit cloudier too.

“So the cloud bubbling up through the morning, further showers and longer spells of rain pushing eastwards across Northern Ireland and Scotland, the odd rumble of thunder here and there.

“Showers breaking out quite widely across northern England, Wales, the Midlands and the South West as well, but some places will stay dry, particularly across the South East of England.”

It all comes less than a week after Brits were soaked in a washout Bank Holiday Monday.

Temperatures dropped to as low as -5C in some regions.

Thunderstorms hit across the UK, with one area – in and around the River Mimram in Hertfordshire – being issued with a flood alert.

AlamyBrits basking in the sunshine in Parliament Square, London[/caption] AlamyBut the good weather won’t stay around for long with showers expected on Sunday[/caption]