UK could hit 30 degrees Celsius at earliest recorded point in a year

LONDON (AP) - The U.K. is set for its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday, and temperatures could hit 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the earliest recorded point in the calendar, forecasters said.

Following one of the warmest and driest Aprils on record, forecasters said the mercury will likely peak in London, before cooler weather starts to drift in from the north on Friday - bad timing for those looking to bask in the sunshine over the coming three-day weekend. Monday is a public holiday in the U.K.

Michael Silverstone, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, the U.K.’s national weather service, said it’s possible temperatures on Thursday could hit 30C in southern England.

If so, he said it “will be the earliest date in May that the U.K. has seen 30 degrees since our records began in 1860."

On Wednesday, the Met Office said temperatures reached 26.7 degrees in Wisley, just south of London, making it the warmest day of the year so far.

Authorities urged people to be cautious if choosing to go swimming as the water temperature in lakes and the sea remain low given the time of the year.

The London Fire Brigade has also urged caution around open-water swimming after a 32% increase in water-related incidents last month compared with the same period last year.

"Even when the sun is shining, water temperatures can be dangerously cold," said Craig Carter, its assistant commissioner for prevention and protection. "Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how fit or experienced they are."

Police said Thursday that the body of a 16-year-old boy was found in a lake in Nottingham.

"While work is now under way to understand how the boy came into difficulty, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water, regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently,” said Chief Inspector David Mather of Nottinghamshire Police.