UK mini heatwave beats highs in Costa del Sol, Athens and Lisbon as mercury soars past 19.8C

The UK has enjoyed a mini Spring heatwave, with temperatures beating highs in hotspots across Europe.

The Met Office confirmed that the mercury had hit 19.8C in London, trumping conditions in the Costa del Sol and the Greek capital Athens.

The national forecaster tweeted: "It's now officially the warmest day of the year so far.

"Both Heathrow and Kew Gardens reached 19.8C at 1pm. The overall maximum for the day will be tweeted in this evening's extremes.

"Despite the warmth and sunshine though, remember to Stayhomestaysafe."

Monday is set to be cooler, with clouds and outbreaks of rain across western parts of the country.

But on Tuesday the sunshine will break again, with highs of up to 23C.

The fine weather comes as the Government ramps up warnings to the public to respect locdkown measures.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested outdoor exercise could be banned if people continued to flout rules.

He told Downing Street press conference: “Following these rules is mission-critical if we’re to protect the NHS, slow the spread and give the NHS time to expand capacity and so save lives.

“The more people follow the rules then the faster we will all be through this.

“So I say this to the small minority of people who are breaking the rules or pushing the boundaries: you’re risking your own life and the lives of others and you’re making it harder for us all.”