Brits warned of 'toxic plume' from France as temperatures continue to rocket

It’s officially one of the hottest days of the year so far – with parts of Britain basking in temperatures of up to 28C.

But as we head outside to soak up the rays, health experts are warning that a toxic plume of pollution is likely to mean trouble for people with heart and lung problems.

The toxic air will reportedly head across Britain, because clean air from the Atlantic is mixing with dirt fumes from Spain and France.

Advice issued from the Department of Food, Rural Affairs and Agriculture (DEFRA), states: ‘Thursday and Friday have the chance of localised high pollution levels near east coasts of England, with isolated pockets also possible in busy urban areas in southern and eastern England.

‘Areas of moderate air pollution are expected across southern parts of the UK, with more isolated moderate levels in the North, mainly close to coasts.’

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The UK’s much-welcomed summery spell comes after a particularly tough winter, which saw several inches of snow falling in some places as late as the middle of March.

The new sunshine comes after warm air from the Azores, located off the coast of Portugal, was pushed towards the UK by a combination of low pressure over the Atlantic and high pressure across western Europe.

The toxic air will happen because air from the Atlantic is mixing with polluted air in Spain and France.

Meteorologist Alex Burkill said: ‘There’s a fairly good chance of 28°C, there’s about a 60% chance.

‘Quite widely we are going to see low 20s, and for many it will be a little warmer than Wednesday.’