UK has its sunniest spring since records began, Met Office says
The UK has had its sunniest spring since records began in 1910, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
The UK recorded 630 hours of sunshine between 1 March and 27 May - beating its previous sunniest spring in 2020 by 4 hours, the forecaster said.
Last week, the Met Office confirmed that both Scotland and Northern Ireland had already had their respective sunniest springs on record, beating their previous sunniest in 2020.
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Sky News
5 minutes ago
- Sky News
Thunderstorm warning issued across large parts of England and Wales includes risk of intense downpours and frequent lightning
A yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued for large parts of England and Wales today. The Met Office warning covers most of southern England, parts of the Midlands and most of South Wales between 9am until 6pm. People in the affected areas are being warned heavy showers and thunderstorms may lead to some disruption to transport services. The UK's weather agency has also warned of frequent lightning, hail and strong gusty winds. Delays to train services are possible and some short-term losses of power are also likely. Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said Saturday morning will start with "plenty of showery rain around". "[There's] the risk of some intense downpours, especially across southern parts where there's likely to be some thunder kicking off, and this brings some hail and some frequent lightning with it as well. "It's across southern parts where we have the greatest risk of some disruption and that's because there's the potential for some torrential downpours with 10 to 15mm perhaps in just an hour or so. "We could see totals building up 30 to 40mm in some places if you get a few downpours one after the other... there could be some localised flooding as well." Mr Burkill also explained that next week could see further downpours. Potentially "some wetter and windier weather" could hit northwestern areas of the UK late on Monday and into Tuesday as a low-pressure system moves in, he said, adding that the position of the weather front remains uncertain. 2:31 The wet weather comes days after the Met Office said the UK had its warmest spring on record - and its driest for 50 years. Provisional figures showed spring temperatures surpassed the long-term average by 1.4C - with a mean temperature of 9.5C (49.1F). That beat the previous warmest spring recorded in 2024. Temperature records were broken in all four nations in the UK - with 1.64C above the long-term average in Northern Ireland, 1.56C above average in Scotland, 1.39C in Wales and 1.35C in England. Forecasters have also predicted the UK is set for a hotter than usual summer - with an increased risk of heatwaves over the next three months. In records dating back to 1884, the Met Office said eight of the 10 warmest springs had occurred since 2000 - and the three warmest had been since 2017, in a sign of the changing climate. Conditions were also incredibly dry this spring, with an average of 128.2mm of rain falling in the UK across March, April and May - the lowest spring total since 1974, which saw 123.2mm.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Did Welsh Rarebit start out as a joke by the English?
It's a beloved national dish of Wales and is found on restaurant menus across the country, but did Welsh rarebit actually start life as a joke played by the English?Toasted bread smothered in a rich, cheesy sauce - what's not to love? But the origin stories of this nostalgic comfort food are as varied as the recipes you can use to make credit poor farmers using a clever substitute for meat while others think English pubs coined the name as a joke, mocking the Welsh for not affording real which of these cheesy tales cuts the mustard? Welsh food historian and author Carwyn Graves said rarebit was "clearly associated with cultural and ethnic Welshness", with cheese being a vital part of European diets for a long time, especially in regions like Wales, where the dairy industry the Middle Ages, before refrigeration, cheese and butter were essential for preserving milk from the spring and summer for use during the colder was also a vital source of protein for poorer communities, particularly in areas like Wales and the Alps, where meat was scarce. In Wales, melted or roasted cheese became popular across all social classes, eventually evolving into Welsh 1536 Act of Union, incorporating Wales into England, saw Welsh migrants bringing melted cheese dishes to English Graves said the English saw it as an ethnic curiosity, even joking about 16th Century tale sees Saint Peter trick Welshmen with the call caws bobi - Welsh for roasted cheese - which he said reflected the dish's cultural ties to name Welsh rarebit appeared much later, with early English cookbooks, such as Hannah Glasse's in 1747, using terms including Welsh rabbit and Scotch rabbit for similar cheese on toast Mr Graves said there was no historical evidence linking the name to actual rabbits and he said the theory that poor people couldn't afford rabbit meat and used cheese instead was unproven. Kacie, from The Rare Welsh Bit food blog said Welsh rarebit, also known as Welsh rabbit, originated in the 1500s as a popular dish among Welsh working-class families who couldn't afford meat like rabbit, using cheese on toast as a substitute. According to her, the dish was first recorded in 1725 and over time, the name shifted from Welsh rabbit to Welsh rarebit, possibly to move away "from patronising connotations associated with the nature of the dish as a poor man's supper". Katrina from Real Girls Travel explained "nobody's quite sure how the name came about", but it's generally believed "Welsh rarebit" likely began as a joke about the poor people of south Wales, who were thought to live on rabbit and ale. She added that many mistakenly think Welsh rarebit contains rabbit because the dish was originally called "Welsh rabbit" in 1725. According to Katrina, the name probably changed because, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the English often gave humorous or fanciful names to regional foods, making the change "an attempt to make it a more fitting dish"."I personally think it was a language barrier or a strong Welsh accent that gave the dish its name," she added. In Sarah Fritsche's blog the Cheese Professor, she explained the word "Welsh" was used as an insult in 1700s Britain, similar to how "welch" functioned as a pejorative. According to Ms Fritsche, "rabbit" was used humorously because only the wealthy could afford real rabbit, making the cheesy toast a "poor person's substitute".She added "rarebit" was a corruption of "rabbit" and is unique to this dish, first appearing as "rare bit". Rose Geraedts, originally from the Netherlands, has lived in Brecon, Powys, for 20 years and runs the International Welsh Rarebit opened the business eight years ago after noticing cafes and pubs in the area were not serving it, despite high demand from tourists. "I thought it was crazy that a national dish wasn't on the menu. I think many saw it as old-fashioned," she took over a disused Victorian school building, renovated it and made Welsh rarebit the star of the show."It seemed mad not to do it - but a lot of people think I'm nuts," she cafe now offers six varieties and Ms Geraedts said customers loved the dish's rich, comforting flavour, seasoned with cayenne pepper, nutmeg, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Ms Geraedts said she had welcomed visitors from around the world, from Australia to America, and even served celebrities including Jonathan Ross and rugby legend Gareth added: "People love it because it's nostalgic. They remember their mother or grandmother making it."It's much more than just dry cheese on toast."Ms Geraedts believes rarebit became popular due to Wales' connection to cheese-making, despite its name being a sarcastic "patronising" English joke. University lecturer, dietician, cook and food writer Beca Lyne-Pirkis said she first learned to make Welsh rarebit with her grandparents so it brings back "nostalgic memories".The 43-year-old, from Cardiff, said it was a great first dish to learn as it's "more complicated than cheese on toast" but not too Lyne-Pirkis said she has two versions - a rich, roux-based recipe with cheddar, beer, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and a quicker one mixing egg, cheese, and seasoning to spread on toast. The dish stayed with her through her university years and is now a favourite with her children."I fell in love with the flavour," she said."When I eat it I get the nostalgic childhood feeling as I have so many fond memories of eating it. That's where my love of food came from."Whatever the roots, Ms Lyne-Pirkis said rarebit was now a timeless, adaptable national dish rooted in family stories and experimentation."Every recipe has its own story, which helps keep the recipe alive."
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Killer sudoku 973
Click here to access the print version. Normal sudoku rules apply, except the numbers in the cells contained within dotted lines add up to the figures in the corner. No number can be repeated within each shape formed by dotted lines. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday and Saturday puzzles are given in either Saturday's or Monday's edition.
