Britain hotter than the Med

Soaring temperatures provided the perfect excuse to spend a day at the beach as Britain sweltered on the hottest day of the year so far.

Gravesend in Kent recorded the highest temperature with 30.9C and much of southern Britain was hotter than Mediterranean resorts including Malaga and Corfu. Temperatures are expected to drop from today, with rain expected by the middle of the week across most of the country, especially the north and west. But by next weekend there is a chance, at least in the south, that temperatures will once again pass the 30C mark.