Britain experienced its hottest early April day in 80 years on Wednesday, April 8.
The temperature reached 26.6°C (79.9°F) at Kew Gardens, London.
According to the Met Office, this is the highest temperature recorded in the UK in the first half of April since 1946.
On April 4, 1964, the temperature reached 26.1 degrees Celsius.
The new temperature record beat the 2026 record of 24.8°C set 24 hours earlier in Anglesey, Wales. London had a higher temperature than the summer tourist destinations of Ibiza, Rome and Marrakech.
Cardiff in Wales recorded 24.2°C, while Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded lower temperatures of 19.7°C and 15.4°C, respectively.
But forecasters said the warmer weather won’t last long, as another freeze will bring “much colder air temperatures.”
On Thursday, April 9, the country will experience temperatures up to 9 degrees cooler, with expected showers spreading to the southeast.
Despite the highest temperature recorded, the Met Office did not issue a heatwave warning because conditions did not meet the criteria for a heatwave, which includes three consecutive days above regional thresholds.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has asked beachgoers to seek out shaded areas and avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm, when UV penetration is strongest.
