UK weather forecast: Record-breaking Easter Sunday scorcher for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have each enjoyed their hottest Easter Sunday on record, the Met Office said.

Temperatures reached 23C in Trawsgoed, Wales, 22.8C in Edinburgh, Scotland, and 20.7C in Helen's Bay, Northern Ireland, by 2pm.

These beat the temperatures of 21.6C in Brynamman, Wales, in 1984, along with 20.7C in Aboyne, Scotland, in 2015, and 19.4C in Armagh in Northern Ireland dating back to 1924 which were the warmest Easter Sundays for those countries.

Wiggonholt in West Sussex, has recorded the highest temperature in England so far on this bright, sunny and dry Easter Sunday with a figure of 24.3C.

This is still below the top Easter Sunday temperature from 2011 when the mercury reached 25.3C in the Solent.

Britain’s beaches and parks are packed with sun worshippers as the UK continues to bask in a mini-heatwave.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: "We have got high pressure moving at the moment giving most of the UK a lot of fine weather, this combined with the fact that the high pressure has dominated for the past few days is allowing the temperatures to heat and build.

"It is allowing some record breaking temperatures to be set today and potentially tomorrow as we are looking at a high of 25C or 26C."

He also suggested that the temperatures may also be helped by the fact that Easter has fallen a little later in the calendar this year.

He said: "The later in the year that Easter falls, the higher the sun is in the sky and the stronger it is."

Many people are enjoying an Easter Day that is fine, dry and has plenty of sunshine which may be hazy for some in the north and west.

The Met Office said it will be cloudier, cooler and windier in the far north-west, with rain over north and north-west Scotland.

In "stark contrast" to the dry and sunny conditions in the UK, Spain and the Mediterranean are seeing showers and heavy downpours.

Met Office meteorologist Dean Hall added: "Spain is very unsettled as we go into Easter Monday. There are temperatures of 17C to 16C in Barcelona. There are certainly cooler conditions there compared to the UK."

Meanwhile, emergency crews tackled a large wildfire on the famous Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire.

A helicopter has been brought in to help fight the fire.

More than 70 firefighters are at the scene, just south of the town of Ilkley, and police have being deployed to keep people away from the area. Officials have indicated that the blaze was started deliberately and have made arrests.

West Yorkshire Fire Service said on Sunday morning that 12 crews were on the moor using water jets and beaters.

A spokesman said: "Specialist wildfire units are also in attendance and a helicopter will be assisting with overhead water attack."

Sergeant Terri Green, from West Yorkshire Police, said on Twitter: "Please stay away from Ilkley Moor today. Deploying many officers to cordon it off due to dangerous conditions due to the fire. Going to need plenty of water and sun cream today for my team and I."

The dry, sunny and very warm temperatures have brought high risk of wildfires in Yorkshire and north-west England, and a moderate likelihood for Wales and south-west England, according to the Met Office.