Put away the winter coats and dig out the sun cream. The meteorological gods have decided to smile upon the British Isles, delivering a blast of unseasonable warmth that is set to send temperatures soaring. And in a twist of climatic irony that is almost too delicious to resist, the capital city of London is forecast to be hotter than the sun-drenched party island of Ibiza. The Met Office has confirmed that a plume of warm air, sweeping up from the south, will push the mercury in the capital to the mid-twenties, comfortably eclipsing the more modest temperatures expected in the Balearics.
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The timing of this mini-heatwave is particularly welcome. After a damp, grey start to the spring, and the recent battering from Storm Dave in the north, the prospect of clear blue skies and genuine warmth is a much-needed tonic. Londoners, a hardy breed accustomed to enduring the crush of the Central Line in all weathers, are being urged to decamp to the city’s parks and green spaces. The deckchairs in St James’s Park and the grassy slopes of Primrose Hill are expected to be at a premium. The gentle hum of distant traffic will be replaced by the sizzle of barbecues and the delighted shrieks of children discovering that yes, it is actually possible to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin in early April.
