Welsh mountaintop hotter than Majorca in freak weather

Temperatures on a Welsh mountain climbed higher than Majorca this week thanks to a freak weather phenomenon called temperature inversion.

Climbing instructor Mark Handford, 54, had been warned to expect snow when he climbed the Y Garn in Snowdonia on Tuesday but instead encountered 21C temperatures.

The unexpected weather, which came as temperatures on the ground were around 2C, was caused by the process which sees hot air trapped in a layer and getting hotter the higher you go.

The summit was significantly warmer than the Spanish island of Majorca which recorded just 59F (15C) that day.

Mr Handford said it was the biggest temperature change he had seen in his 22 years of climbing.

He said he had even put on sunscreen after getting above the clouds before enjoying a quick sunbathe.

The climbing expert, who is director of Snowdonia Adventures and has also worked in the Himalayas, said: “I had seen the forecast and thought we could get an inversion but this was massive.

“It was cold, around 2C, and damp going up but as soon as we popped out at cloud level at around 750 metres it was 17 degrees.

“We stopped on the north east slopes as we came down because it was baking, we put on sun cream and had a little sunbathe. I checked the watch and it was showing 21 degrees.”

Met Office experts said the phenomenon “often happens in areas of high pressure”.

It is when air sinks down and warms up before acting as a lid, trapping cooler air near the surface.

The weather is set to get milder this weekend with London and the south predicted to see temperatures as high as 14C.