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Bank Holiday Monday Set To Be Scorcher

Bank Holiday Monday Set To Be Scorcher

Britain is preparing for a scorching Bank Holiday Monday as temperatures continue to increase across the country.

England and Wales is set to be swathed in more sunshine today but tomorrow could be the hottest day of the year so far.

Weather experts have predicted highs of at least 23C, which is likely to beat temperatures in sunny European destinations including France and Italy.

If it climbs any higher, it will beat the April 25 record of 23C.

Meanwhile, temperatures today will gradually hit 19C in England and Wales with cloudy and showery intervals.

The best of the weather is expected to be in East Anglia and central England.

But Scotland and Northern Ireland are not enjoying the same warm days as England and Wales this weekend, with temperatures expected to linger around 16C today and Monday.

Sky weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "The early spring Bank Holiday can be rather cool and mixed, as we have seen in recent years.

"This year looks to be a pretty good one with many places set to be fine and dry with Monday looking the warmest of the days."

This year's expected sunny Bank Holiday will be a big improvement on last year, which saw rain and a temperature high of just 16C at Exeter Airport.

The warmest Bank Holiday Monday in recent years was in 2008 when London reached 23C and even the coldest part of Scotland got up to 14C, with much of the country seeing sunshine.

This year looks similar for England, Wales, central Scotland and Northern Ireland with temperatures ranging into the mid and high teens across most areas with plenty of sun.

The recent warm weather and earlier good forecasts have led to a wave of optimism, with people around the country planning barbecues and other events.

Supermarkets and other stores have reported large quantities of barbecue foods being sold and also increased sales of items like nail varnish.

The fine weather, however, is not good news for hay fever sufferers, who the Met Office said are likely to struggle through the weekend, with high levels of pollen expected across England.