UK weather: temperature tops 26C on one of hottest April days in past 80 years
Temperatures in parts of the UK surged on Wednesday, with Kew Gardens in south-west London hitting 26.5C (79.7F) — the warmest day of the year so far and one of the hottest April days in the last 80 years.
The Met Office said it was the hottest day recorded in the first half of April since 1946. A spokesperson put it down to a high-pressure setup, explaining that warm air is being drawn north across the country, leaving many areas—especially central, southern and eastern England—well above average for the time of year.
In the middle of it all, you could still feel how strange this is for April. On a warm afternoon, the air around people’s windows seems to have a dry, slightly dusty edge—then you notice it isn’t just the weather; it’s also pollen, like the air is quietly getting busy.
Wednesday also pushed beyond this year’s previous mark from a day earlier. Temperatures hit 24.8C in Mona on the island of Anglesey in Wales. And while the heat has been noticeable, the Met Office has been clear: this week’s conditions do not meet its definition of a heatwave, which requires temperatures to exceed region-specific thresholds of 24C and 27C for at least three consecutive days.
Even if it’s not officially a heatwave, the warmth has arrived right as peak pollen season is settling in. The Met Office said ash and birch pollen levels remain very high, and yes, that tracks with what people tend to feel when the sky’s doing this bright, early-in-the-year thing.
Tom Morgan, a meteorologist at the Met Office, told PA Media: “Temperatures even into the mid 20s are very uncommon at this time of year. It’s been very, very warm, but it is a brief peak in the heat, with temperatures for most of the UK considerably lower tomorrow.” Thursday is expected to bring rain and cooler, showery weather moving south-east across the UK. And really, after a day like this—one that comfortably outshines many popular holiday spots—there’s probably some relief in the shift. Not sure if people will feel it fast, though, not with the pollen still sitting there.
