Skip to content

Record Easter temperatures in three nations of the UK

Peri Vaughan Jones A queue of people on Mount SnowdonPeri Vaughan Jones
The fine weather brought queues of people to the summit of Snowdon

Three of the UK's nations have recorded their highest ever Easter Sunday temperatures, the Met Office has said.

Scotland's peak was 23.4C (74F), in Edinburgh, while that same temperature was also the high point in Wales - coming in Cardiff.

Northern Ireland beat a 95-year-old record when the mercury hit 21C at Helen's Bay near Bangor.

England's highest temperature was 24.6C at Heathrow airport - just shy of the record of 25.3C.

The good weather has brought people in droves to beaches, parks and other outdoor attractions, while people queued to reach the top of Snowdon and Pen y Fan.

In Glasgow, hundreds of bikers - many in costume - gathered for the 40th annual charity Easter Egg Run.

The previous record in Northern Ireland was set on 20 April 1924 in Armagh, when the temperature reached 19.4C.

Wales has had its hottest Easter since 22 April 1984, when it was 21.6C in Brynamman in the Brecon Beacons.

But Scotland's record had only stood since 5 April 2015, when 20.7C was recorded at Aboyne in Aberdeenshire.

PA Punting in Canterbury, KentPA
Punters enjoyed the warm weather in Canterbury, Kent
PA Sunbathers in Swansea BayPA
Sunbathers headed for Swansea Bay as Wales basked in record Easter Sunday temperatures
Hundreds of bikers gathered for the 40th annual Easter Egg Run
More than 800 bikers rode through Glasgow to deliver treats to the Royal Hospital for Children

The Easter Sunday record in England - and the UK-wide record - is 25.3C (78F), which was set in Solent, Hampshire, in 2011.

But on Holy Saturday in 1949, temperatures reached 29.4C (85F) in Camden Square, London.

Monday is set to be another hot day, but after that temperatures are likely to fall back to the seasonal average.

The Met Office said that while the UK has been enjoying plenty of sunshine, holiday destinations such as Spain are seeing showers, heavy downpours and cooler temperatures of 17C (63F).