Record heat expected as Britain bakes on Bank Holiday Monday
Sun-seekers have been making the most of the baking hot bank holiday with record temperatures predicted today – but it won’t last much longer.
Attractions and events saw swarms of people sizzling in the spring heatwave over the weekend.
The mercury hit 21C and is expected to reach more than 24C across the region today – the hottest in almost two decades.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “It looks likely we’ll at least see our warmest Bank Holiday Monday on record today.
“23.6C is what we’ve got to beat, and we’re forecasting highs [across the UK] of at least 26C, 27C, possibly 28C, so I think we can safely say that’s going to be beaten.
"But whether or not we will beat the record for the whole weekend put together, we’ll be close.”
In 1999, Bank Holiday Monday saw temperatures of 23.6C, while the hottest bank holiday weekend on record was in 1995 when temperatures peaked at 28.6C.
The weather is expected to turn fairly quickly though with cloud moving over tomorrow and temperatures dipping before we face a chilly 12C on a rainy Friday.
But for now the blue skies have been good news for people out-and-about this bank holiday such as the families seen paddling along the waters at West Bromwich’s Dartmouth Park.
And it was a relief for those gathering in Wolverhampton today to watch the Wolves promotion bus parade and party in West Park.
Though it has proved challenging for those taking part in such events as the Birmingham 10K and also sparked warnings from animal welfare experts, calling on residents to make sure pets are not left unattended in cars.
The RSPCA marks ‘Dogs Die in Hot Cars Awareness Day’ today and is bracing itself for a surge in emergency calls.
Last year the charity received 198 calls about animals across the West Midlands struggling in the heat.
RSPCA dog welfare expert Lisa Hens said: “It’s really concerning to see that the number of calls about this issue actually rose last year when it had been steadily falling over previous years.”
“The temperature inside a car can soar to 47°C within minutes, even when the outside temperature is just 22°C, and this can be fatal for a dog.”
