By Lucy Caulkett-
The UK has recorded the hottest day of the year so far on Good Friday as the sun came out at the start of the Easter bank Holiday weekend.
The temperature hit 22C (71.6F) in London’s St James’s Park, the Met Office said, beating the previous year high of 20.8C in March.
Temperatures are predicted to get hotter, with many parts of the country basking in sunshine and clear skies.
Most of the Uk has been basking in sunshine with temperatures in the high teens in some northern areas, including Yorkshire and parts of Scotland.
At the start of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, highs of 21-22C are expected in the south-east of England and 15-20C in many other areas.
Sun lovers came out in droves at beaches in Brighton , Dover, and Southend On Sea, making the most of the weather.
The weather was 22C (71.6F) in St James’s Park, central London, beats the previous record of 20.8C (69.4F) set in London on 23 March and Cornwall on 25 March.
It comes as families face disruptions on the roads, rail network and at airports, with 27.6 million car journeys expected to be made over the Easter weekend as well as 9,212 flights.
Ahead of the first Easter holiday weekend without COVID restrictions in three years, families were warned of delays, with motorists urged to begin their getaways on Saturday rather than Friday.
Traffic has been heaviest on the M20 in Kent today, following the suspension of P&O ferries between Dover and Calais all weekend.
April average maximum temperatures range from 10C in northern Scotland to 13C in south-east England.
Good Friday is also predicted to be the busiest travel day of the Easter weekend.
Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates declared: ‘It’s looking like Friday will be the warmest day of the year with highs of 22 to 23C, probably most likely in London.
‘The current highest temperature is 20.8C which was recorded in two places – St James Park in London on 23 March and Treknow in Cornwall on 25 March – so we should beat that tomorrow. Widely, it will be quite a warm day.’