Porthmadog records hottest day of 2023 so far

Temperatures reached 25.1C in Porthmadog today, the hottest in the UK so far this year – beating Sunday’s 2023 record of 24.4C set in in Plymouth

Scotland and Northern Ireland also recorded their highest temperatures of the year at 24.4 in Tyndrum, Stirling, and 24.5C in Castlederg, Co Tyrone.

Met Office senior meteorologist Rachel Ayers said: “It’s been a fine, bright day with warm sunshine across much of the country.

“High pressure centred to the west of the UK is bringing settled weather, clearer skies and generally drier conditions.”

However, cloud in eastern coastal regions and an onshore breeze from the north east resulted in cooler temperatures of around 13C on the Kent and north east coast of England.

Clear

Ms Ayers said: “The wind is coming off the North Sea, blowing into eastern areas. That’s why it’s clear in the west and cooler in the east.

“Through tonight, clouds are going to push further west, meaning a lot of Wales and south-west England, who have enjoyed wall-to-wall sunshine in recent days, will be waking up to clouds.”

Over the next few days, there will continue to be an east-west split. “The west will be the best with the highest temperatures and best of the sunshine, and it will be cooler and cloudier in the east,” said Ms Ayers.

“Blustery north-easterly offshore winds over the next few days will make it feel cooler for anyone down at the beach for half-term,” she added

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said May has been “very dry” with “just slightly more than half the normal amount of rainfall we would actually expect”.