Britain bakes in the heat of the hottest day in April since 1949

Britain is baking in the hottest April day since 1949, after temperatures reached over 25C in London.

Temperatures reached a sizzling 27.9C (82.2F) in Northolt, Greater London, shortly after midday on Thursday, making it the warmest April day for 69 years, the Met Office said.

The early slice of summer comes after warm air travelled from the Azores, before it was pushed towards the UK by a combination of low pressure over the Atlantic and high pressure across western Europe.

Health experts also warned that a ‘toxic’ plume of fumes could wreak havoc for sufferers of respiratory conditions.

A Met Office forecaster said: ‘There’s been a number of places across London this afternoon where temperatures have reached 28 degrees, including in Northolt, St James Park and Kew Gardens.’

At present, however, the record for April still stands at 29.4 degrees – which was set at Camden Square in 1949.

Tomorrow is also expected to remain similarly hot, if slightly cooler than the sizzling highs reached this afternoon.

‘Tomorrow won’t be quite as warm’, a Met Office forecaster confirmed.

‘Over 25 degrees is likely, but it’s not going to be quite as hot as today.’

The balmy conditions have also sparked fears that Sunday’s London Marathon could be the warmest on record.

Temperatures could hit 23C (73.4F) in the capital on Sunday, prompting marathon organisers to add more water, ice and shower stations along the 26.2-mile route.

Marathon event director Hugh Brasher said: ‘Most importantly, runners should adjust their goal for Sunday and plan to run at a slower pace.

‘If they were planning to run in fancy dress, they should think carefully if that is appropriate in the forecast conditions.’

He added: ‘We want to stress that there will be plenty of water available and runners should drink according to their thirst and use spare water to douse their head and neck.’

Met Office meteorologist John West added: ‘Potentially we’re looking at highs of 23C but we could potentially see some showers coming in from the west which could take a degree or so off.’