UK heat puts Europe in the shade

Britain is expected to bask in warm temperatures this weekend as the mild weather which has already made the UK hotter than parts of mainland Europe and Africa in the last few days continues. The mercury rocketed to 28C (82.4F) in Bournemouth on Friday, making it the hottest day of the year and putting Barcelona in the shade as the Spanish city could only manage 25.3C (77.5F). Events that will benefit from good weather in the UK this weekend include the continuation of the Olympic Torch relay through south and west Wales, reaching Aberystwyth on Sunday night, and the last day of the Chelsea Flower Show. It will be the middle of next week before temperatures begin to fall significantly towards the seasonal average, according to MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association. Some parts of the West Country could see some showers during the weekend, although they may die away again before the end of Sunday. Forecaster Sally Webb said: "Most places are still warm and hot, with temperatures over the seasonal average. Most of the UK will be sunny and very warm on Saturday, but showers could reach the end of Cornwall by late afternoon. Sunday will continue to be dry and sunny, although there is a chance of it being cloudier. There might also be showers in the South West in areas like Devon and south Wales." Easterly winds from the continent and a high pressure system over the Northern Isles have caused temperatures to reach almost 10C higher than the average for this time of year. Average maximum temperatures for England in May are 14C to 17C (57.2F to 62.6F), while Scotland would normally be 13C to 15C (55.4F to 59F). It is going to stay warm for the next few days, with temperatures of 27C (80.6) in Scotland on Sunday and 24C (75.2F) or 25C (77F) in southern England, and 24C (75.2F) or 25C (77F) across the UK on Sunday. Train companies are gearing up for an increase in passengers of up to 25% in some parts of the country this weekend as hundreds of thousands of sun-seekers head to seaside resorts and beauty spots. As well as Bournemouth, Kinlochewe in north-west Scotland peaked at 27.7C (81.9F) yesterday and at Heathrow Airport temperatures reached 25.7C (78.3F). In comparison, Athens in Greece reached 24C (75.2F) while Casablanca in Morocco could only manage 22C (71.6), though Europe is also experiencing above-average temperatures.