The UK is on track to experience its warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures expected to exceed European holiday spots. Firefighters have been tackling wildfires across the country as a result of the dry and sunny weather. The Met Office predicts that some areas in central England may reach temperatures of 24C, which is closer to what is typically expected in July. The highest temperature recorded so far this year was 21.3C in Northolt, west London, and Chertsey, Surrey, on 20 March. This means that the country is expected to be warmer than popular tourist destinations such as Marbella and Ibiza in Spain, Mykonos in Greece, and even Los Angeles in California. Southern England already hit highs of 20.7C on Thursday, while Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands reached 20.1C. However, eastern areas of the country were cooler due to easterly winds over the North Sea. The Met Office stated that temperatures were closer to what is expected in July in some inland and western areas, but a cool breeze kept many eastern coastal regions much colder. The average temperature for this time of year is about 12C in England and 10C in Scotland. Dan Stroud, a forecaster, stated that there is a possibility of temperatures reaching 23C or isolated cases of 24C tomorrow, potentially making it the warmest day of the year so far. These high temperatures come as firefighters have been battling major blazes in Scotland and Dorset. According to Stroud, the wildfires have occurred after a dry period in March. In Scotland, firefighters have been fighting a large grass fire at Gartur Moss in Port of Menteith, Stirling, which has stretched half a kilometer. The Scottish fire and rescue service raised the alarm around noon on Wednesday and four fire appliances remained at the scene on Thursday morning. The public has been urged not to light fires outdoors as the risk of wildfires remains “very high to extreme” across the country until Monday.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/04/uk-weather-warmest-day-of-year-firefighters-tackle-wildfires