The Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said there would be dry, sunny and very warm conditions with temperatures continuing to rise slightly on Saturday and Sunday to a possible 27°C on Easter Monday.
In a piece for Radio Times, Giles, 79, writes: “The hourly forecasts that we now see do an excellent job in giving us the likely weather events over the coming few days, and this must continue. But to properly explain the underlying changes to climate they will need to look much further afield at the weather across the world, reporting and analysing extremes on a daily basis.
UK temperature records have tumbled in the past 10 days. Last Thursday, Scotland experienced its highest winter warmth of 18.3°C in Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire. On Tuesday, Wales set a new UK high for the season for 20.8 in Porthmadog. This was beaten on Wednesday, when Kew registered 21.2°C.
“Extreme or unusual weather in the UK is becoming widely recognised as an indication that the climate is changing…As our heating planet turns from a threat into an emergency, with emissions still increasing, we must reject passivity in favour of action.”
The record had already been broken on Monday, when temperatures exceeded 20°C during winter for the very first time. This week’s unseasonably warm weather differs dramatically from the beginning of the month, when sub-zero temperatures were recorded across the country.
It is the first time temperatures have exceed 20°C during winter, according to a Met Office official. The weather starkly contrasts with the beginning of the month, when sub-zero temperatures were recorded across the country.
