United kingdom Daily news: UK weather forecast: Sun is set to stay for the weekend

Jumat, 25 Mei 2012

UK weather forecast: Sun is set to stay for the weekend

UK weather forecast: Sun is set to stay for the weekend

By Travelmail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 06:59 EST, 25 May 2012 | UPDATED: 07:28 EST, 25 May 2012

Spare a thought for Libby the lion at Blair Drummond Safari Park in Stirling, Scotland, who relies on ice to keep cool in the unseasonably warm weather.

But she might need a few more blocks as the rather sweltering heat is set to continue today and into Saturday and Sunday, according to forecasters.

Sun seekers flocked to beaches and parks yesterday as they soaked up what was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching almost 28C.

Purrfect: Libby the Lion cub licks a piece of ice at Blair Drummond Safari Park to help cool down

And the warmth will last for several more days, although showers could reach Cornwall by the end of Saturday.

Forecaster Gemma Plumb said: 'Most of the UK will be sunny and very warm on Saturday but showers could reach the end of Cornwall by the end of the day.

'Sunday will continue to be dry and sunny although there may be more cloud about.'

Saturday should see temperatures of between 24C and 27C, she said, while Sunday is likely to be between 22 and 25C.

Sun trap: People make the most of the weather and soak up the rays on Brighton beach

Once again, Southampton had the highest temperature of 27.9C yesterday, after also topping the mercury on Wednesday.

The south-coast city was closely followed by Wisley in Surrey, where temperatures reached 27.5C, while it was 27.3C in Bishopton, near Glasgow.

Most places across the UK hovered between 24 and 28C while coastal areas were cooler, especially in the east where it struggled to get above 18C.

Barcelona in Spain lagged behind at 25.3C. Average maximum temperatures for England in May are 14-17C, while Scotland would normally be 13-15C.

Seat in the city: Sunbathers in St James' Park, in Central London, pull up a deckchair or two

Blooming: The sun beats down on Wisley Gardens, Surrey, with temperatures soaring up to 27C

But the hot weather wasn't good for everyone, causing a pane of glass at Portcullis House, the Â£235 million office block used by hundreds of MPs, to shatter.

A Commons spokeswoman blamed 'heat exhaustion' for thousands of tiny cracks in the 6ft by 3ft pane in the 11-year-old glass and steel building opposite the Palace of Westminster.

She said: 'One of the nodes supporting the glass expanded in the heat and that pushed the glass.'

Two workmen in hard hats placed cardboard storage boxes under the shattered pane to soften its fall should it plummet to the ground, as security officers set up a 40ft cordon blocking access between the Members' Centre and the Debate cafe.