Temperatures in Salford topped 20C as Wednesday became the hottest day recorded in the first half of April since 1946.
Salford residents on an extended Easter break have been making the most of the good weather in parks, pubs and sunny spots across the city on the hottest day of the year so far.
According to the Met Office, temperatures today (8 April) soared above the figures recorded across the county. The weather experts had confirmed that Tuesday was the hottest 7 April on record.
While the temperature in Salford broke the 20C barrier, cities in the South were hotter than popular holiday destinations including Ibiza, Rome and Marrakech.
Tom Morgan, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Temperatures even into the mid 20s are very uncommon at this time of year.
“In the London area, we’ve seen temperatures above 26 degrees Celsius, and currently the provisional maximum today is 26.5 Celsius in Kew Gardens, London. And that is pretty exceptional for at least the first half of April.
“It’s been very, very warm, but it is a brief peak in the heat, with temperatures for most of the UK considerably lower tomorrow.”
The hot spell, which began on Monday, is far above the early April average of 12C to 15C.
However, Thursday is expected to see rain and cooler, showery weather moving southeast across the UK.
Despite the high temperatures, the Met Office has said that this week’s weather does not meet its definition of a heatwave, which requires temperatures to exceed region‑specific thresholds of 24C and 27C for at least three consecutive days.
