The UK has seen its hottest day of the year so far with temperatures soaring to nearly 25C in parts of the country, the Met Office has confirmed.

Temperatures reached 24.8C in Porthmadog, north Wales, beating Sunday’s previous record of 24.4C in Plymouth.

Both Scotland and Northern Ireland have also recorded their highest temperatures of 2023 so far, with the mercury climbing to 24.2C at Tyndrum, Stirling, and 24.1C at Castlederg, County Tyrone, respectively.

Met Office senior meteorologist Rachel Ayers said: “We may still see higher temperatures over the next hour or so.”

In its long-range forecast, the Met Office predicts the potential for “very warm conditions” as we head into June, the official start to the meteorological summer, particularly in sheltered western and northwestern areas.

Dry and settled conditions are expected for much of the UK, the Met Office says looking further ahead into early June.

The UK recorded its highest-ever temperature in July 2022 in Coningsby, Lincolnshire at 40.3C.

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